The Noble Hermit
by crimsonxAEGIS
Summary: Uzumaki Naruto, Savior of the Shinobi World and Vanquisher of the Primordial God "Juubi" has died at the Valley of the End. Konso'd by a familiar Shinigami and sent to the Rukongai, Naruto decides to live his after-life as he did his life. Doing what he thinks is right, and following his gut... all done in style of course. NarutoxHarem !Jaded Naruto !Wise Naruto
1. Episode One: Shifts In Life

**Hello all, _CrimsonxAEGIS_ here, and this is my first attempt at a Crossover Fan-fiction of any kind. This idea has been stewing about in my head for quite some time now, but I was just never able to figure out exactly where to start. So I decided to start off with the first chapter outlining Naruto's relationship with both Yoruichi and Sui-Feng, two of my quartet of favourite female Bleach Characters. The Story itself will be AU, focusing almost entirely on the Arc's in which Aizen is the main Antagonist, and continuing on from there. The main Protagonist will be Naruto, and this story will focus almost entirely on his life/after-life and his relationships with the various women in it. He will be God-Like... like... Uber God-like; so Aizen will barely make him sweat, only barely managing to escape his encounters with him when they do fight, all the while preaching his non-existent superiority to make himself feel better. Some other things will be twisted around and changed for the benefit of my planned out plot, but I will attempt to stick to the Official Bleach Terms and Lore as much as I can. I'll also try not to make any of the characters too OOC, but Sui-Feng will be tricky, at least until we reach the Soul Society Arc.**

**The First chapter is... long... to say the very least, and will cover most of the details of Naruto's time in Soul Society and the Seireitei up until he is forced to leave. While this does not actually include up to the time where Yoruichi, Urahara, and the Visoreds are forced to flee Soul Society, that particular event will follow Canon, so I do not feel the need to cover it here.**

**This will undoubtedly be a Naruto/Harem and Ichigo/Rukia, or something. The harem shall be as follows: Shihouin Yoruichi, Sui-Feng, Shiba Kukaku, and Tier Harribel, (Maybe) Unagiya Ikumi cuz let's face it... she's hawt, and I might add a girl or two from the Naruto-verse. Whether or not I add more later... well, I'll need to re-read the Manga before deciding for sure. You can even make suggestions, but let me be clear right neow... I absolutely will not be adding Orihime to either pairing... I don't like her... at all... No matter the size of your breasts, there's a limit to how ditzy a girl can be before she becomes just plain annoying. I won't be bashing, except on Aizen, and I'll be repeatedly bashing him over the head with a ten foot long solid steel support that I ripped out of a warehouse down the street—did I mention I would be doing so repeatedly? Marechiyo Omaeda will also be getting bashed, and maybe even more so. He proved himself later on in the series, but I'd much rather just leave him an idiotic slobbering glutton who constantly lusts after his Taichou and plots to make her his while believing that if he defeats and humiliates Naruto(the object of her desire) she will fall head over heels for him(Omaeda) and become his (un)willing bride. I like that one; so much fun to humiliate.**

**So in short, I absolutely refuse to add Orihime to either pairing without a serious personality overhaul. Maybe make her into a total bad-ass All Female Biker Gang leader or something, and maybe then I could stand the ditz; while both Aizen and Omaeda will be getting bashed quite severely.**

**Two more characters that I will not be adding to the harem or to either of the Pairings period, would be Hinata(since it's done waaaaaay to often already, talk about your over-done pairings) or Sakura. Never liked her all that much. Way too bitchy for my tastes.**

**Other than that you all know what to do, read on at your own risk, because I guarantee you'll be sitting there for a while.**

**As for the disclaimer, well, I'm Irish... nuff said.**

**I'm kidding; I don't own Bleach, Naruto or any of the Characters depicted in either series. I'm just using them for my own amusement without permission.**

**Now, On with the Show.**

Episode One: Shifts in Life

Uzumaki Naruto was a simple boy, he liked ramen, enjoyed the odd prank, and would do anything to protect those precious to him. His precious people as he called them were what drove him, what gave him the will to live and keep fighting to see another day.

At least they were; because no amount of will, or drive seemed to be able to bring him _back_ to life.

Standing in the middle of what used to be a lush green mountain valley but was now a barren waste filled with smouldering craters and charred earth, Naruto stared at the lifeless corpse in front of him, his body numbed by shock and disbelief, yet his mind strangely at peace. He knew what had happened, but the war had been won, and those that had survived would be free to live their lives in peace, so he wasn't as distraught as he thought he would be.

The body in front of him was adorned in a red haori wreathed in black flames, the tattered orange and black jumpsuit being the most identifying article of clothing one would ever see on a Shinobi. Well, other than the golden blonde hair of course. There was a peaceful expression on its' face, and a small serene smile on it's lips.

This was the body of Uzumaki Naruto, his body.

Naruto looked down at his chest, where a small chain hung down to about his knees, connected to his sternum. He looked unhurt, as if he hadn't just fought in a battle of epic proportions against a resurrected primordial god and the lunatic responsible for every moment of suffering he'd endured in his admittedly short life. When he looked back up and brushed a hand through his hair, he couldn't help but notice that ever movement was sluggish, his body feeling as if he were trying to move underwater, like it would if he was suffering from chakra exhaustion. Then again, he was dead, and even though he wasn't as smart as Sakura, Naruto was well aware of the fact that one needed to have a physical presence to wield chakra even in it's base form.

He was a soul now, with no physical body with which to house and produce chakra.

With another sigh, Naruto sat down in the dirt and crossed his legs beneath him in an attempt meditate. He needed to stay calm, freaking out would do him no favours, and it's not like it would change anything.

The Shinigami himself would be coming for him soon, he could feel it in every fibre of his being. Where would he go? Would the shinigami devour his soul like he had his fathers? Would he go to heaven, or hell?

There were so many questions that Naruto wanted answered, but alas it was not to be. He could feel a presence behind him, powerful, and serene. It was a nearly overwhelming feeling, yet he could also sense an underlying layer of, mischief? Playfulness?

The shinigami was supposed to be the embodiment of all the negative feelings the world had to offer, yet he sensed nothing malicious in the presence behind him at all.

For the longest time, there was no sound, not the whisper of the breeze or even the sound of a breath. When no words were forthcoming, and the presence behind him remained completely still, Naruto sighed and opened his eyes. "You're late, Shinigami-sama. After all, I've been waiting for some time now you know."

There was no vocal reply, but the presence moved until it was right next to him. Looking out the corner of his eye Naruto caught a flash of white cloth fluttering in the breeze, and shinobi style tabi.

Tabi?

Turning his head to take in the appearance of the person next to him, Naruto was met by the grim visage of a dark skinned woman with short purple hair, reminiscent of a late friend of his. Her narrow eyes directed her solemn golden gaze over the field as she stood next to the sitting Shinobi. She was over a half a foot shorter than he was, he having hit a growth spurt during the war to stand at an imposing five foot nine inches, while she stood at around five feet. Maybe a couple inches taller, Five foot two maybe?

She was wearing a white long sleeved haori over a black kimono with a white sash around her waist instead of the more traditional obi, with a small wakizashi strapped horizontally across her lower back, and a black choker around her neck to top it all off.

She was very beautiful, Naruto thought idly, taking in her slender form and topaz coloured eyes for several long moments. When he was finished with his observation, he turned his head back to the field in front of him and chuckled dryly. "This never should have happened, none of it, all these people never had to die. Yet we couldn't stop it in time, and so many people lost their lives to protect this world. I'm just relieved to know that it's over, and those that survived can live there lives with some semblance of peace now. That all our sacrifices won't be in vain."

Still the woman said nothing, but her gaze had shifted until she was looking at him. So, he continued to talk, trying to comfort himself really as he realized all of the things he'd never accomplish, that some of his fondest dreams, would never come true. It was all hitting him in a rush now, his dream of becoming Hokage was now out of reach. He had been named as Tsunade's successor and all but been given the hat, but it would never be.

Most of all though, was his greatest wish. His wish of one day starting a family of his own; being able to witness his kids first steps and hear their first words. Shion would be a mess when she found out he'd died, he realized sadly.

He'd agreed to give her children not long before the war had really started to heat up, and their first try had been successful. They were going to have twins, but he wouldn't be there for them.

All of this and more he spoke into the wind. The woman next to him simply listening, her expression stoic, but not unkind or cold. If he was feeling her right, she was simply trying to put up a strong front; she didn't want him to see what she was feeling, but didn't know that he could _feel_ it.

"Gomen... I shouldn't be rambling like this." Naruto sighed, something he seemed to be doing a lot of since he died only a few short hours ago. "Before you do whatever it is you're going to do to me, like send me to hell or whatever, can I ask you something?"

When the woman looked down at him and nodded Naruto offered her a small smile in thanks. "There was a man, wearing an orange spiral mask somewhere around here, is he still here?"

The woman shook her head before speaking. "No, his soul was already Konso'd, and the gates of hell appeared to claim him; he's gone for good, so you have nothing to worry about."

Naruto nodded. "That's good I guess, I mean, I wouldn't wish hell on anybody since it sounds pretty horrible, but as long as he can't do anything more to harm the Elemental Nations or those I fought so hard to protect, then I'm not gonna complain."

The woman nodded before moving to stand in front of him, yet he didn't move, merely following her with his eyes. Turning to face him, the woman reached behind her and drew her sword, thus Naruto smiled and closed his eyes. "I'm going to send you to Soul Society, I guess you would refer to it as Heaven." Naruto noticed her rather odd way of speaking, referring to herself with the more masculine 'washi', instead of 'watashi', yet didn't comment. He was rather confused though. Why would the Shinigami send him to heaven, and why would the shinigami be a beautiful woman? Was it to make him more comfortable in it's presence? Or had the shinigami really been a _she_ all this time?

He didn't have much time to think on it though, as the next thing he knew the woman had tapped the hilt of her sword against his forehead and soft blue light appeared before his eyes. Looking down, he noticed a circle of light beneath him and his body beginning to vanish as he sank into the earth.

When he looked back up he smiled a little bit wider than before, his first genuine smile in what felt to him like ages. "My name is Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto, Former Shinobi of Konohagakure. What's yours, Shinigami-San?"

The woman smiled for the first time since he'd seen her and sheathed her sword before placing her hand on her hip and cocking it out to the side in a teasing manner. "Quite the long name there handsome, and it's Yoruichi. Shihouin Yoruichi, Niban-tai Taichou of the Goteijusantai. See you soon, Naruto-kun."

When the light finally vanished and everything had gone dark, only a single thing passed through his mind before even thought was lost to him. '_What a pretty name._' (Yoruichi's name in kanji translates to; Shihouin "Four Tree Imperial Palace", and Yoruichi "One Evening". Took me forever to work that out, tell me if I'm wrong, though it still sounds nice)

**(SCENE BREAK)**

When Shihouin Yoruichi returned to Squad Two's barracks she immediately went to her room and tossed her haori on her desk before flopping down onto her futon face first. Her report to the Sou-Taichou had been long and emotionally trying; having to detail the events of a war between the forces of man and an endless army of what appeared to be white plants, the resurgence of a Primordial God that even The Goteijusantai feared from long ago, it's subsequent defeat at the hands of a young man no older than seventeen, and the death of said teen that Yoruichi had been watching over since his birth.

It was the original deal between the Sou-Taichou and the man known as Namikaze Minato, to have someone competent keep their eyes on his son and make sure he didn't become a target for the more opportunistic hollows, or anything thing else of a more supernatural nature that would want to take advantage of such a powerful demon being sealed within a human child. Minato had long since reincarnated, as he was not allowed to enter the Seireitei for another six hundred years at the least if he was still eligible to do so when that time came.

That's what happens when you summon a Shinigami to the land of the living after all, a price had to be paid to wield such an ability.

She'd watched over young Naruto since he was only hours old, through all the good times and bad, his first steps, his first words, his first beating at the hands of a drunken villager, and the day he'd finally earned the respect of the village he'd sworn to protect; and over the years the little knucklehead had grown on her. To watch him die had nearly broken her, and to be completely honest, all she wanted right now was to curl up in her futon and cry.

She knew he was here in the Soul Society, somewhere out in the Rukongai, but they might never find him before he re-entered the cycle of reincarnation. She might never see that little ball of sunshine ever again, and that tore her up inside.

A knock on the door went unnoticed, and the following voice that announced the arrival of her protege, personal guard, and servant from the Feng Clan along with it, before someone entered her room. Finally taking notice of the new arrival, Yoruichi reached a hand out towards the younger woman and waved her over. "Come 'ere Sui-Feng."

The young woman timidly approached her mentor and idol before kneeling down next to the futon, she was about to ask what was bothering the older woman when the front of her training clothes were snagged in Yoruichi's iron grip and Sui-Feng was dragged into a rather tight embrace. "Yoruichi-sama! What is..." She trailed off when she realized something odd, her mentor was doing something she'd never seen her do before.

She was crying silently, holding onto Sui-Feng like a child would a stuffed animal and burying her face into the younger woman's chest. "Sui-Feng, I'll answer your questions later... just let me stay like this for a bit alright?"

Sui-Feng nodded dumbly and like that Yoruichi eventually drifted off to sleep. It had been a long day for her, and she'd been more tired than she'd thought.

Sui-Feng meanwhile just frowned in thought. Her mentor's current emotional state must have something to do with her last mission. Over the last sixteen or so years Yoruichi had been disappearing rather often, stating that it was on orders from the Sou-Taichou and that she had things to check up on in District Thirteen. Which was cause enough for concern in Sui-Feng's eyes.

District Thirteen was home to some of the most terrifying beings Sui-Feng had ever heard of; humans with supernatural powers that defied the laws of physics, and demons the size of small mountains with powers beyond even Captain Class Shinigami. These humans had strength enough to shatter concrete with their bare hands and speed even greater than Yoruichi—the goddess of flash!—in some cases. She had never quite known what business Yoruichi could have had in such a place, as hollows were far too weary of the place to set foot upon the soil to hunt for souls. It was a rather simple matter for the Shinigami of the Hachiban-tai to Konso the souls of those that died in that pocket dimension, since any hollows that did appear there were disposed of by the residents before long.

So she opted to stop thinking too hard on it and just stroked Yoruichi's hair soothingly as the woman slept. Before long Yoruichi had woken up, and almost immediately set into her story. What she had been sent to do in District Thirteen, and what she had witnessed over the past several months since she'd left for District thirteen up until her return only that morning. Needless to say, Sui-Feng was shocked, and after hearing about this young man whom Yoruichi had been looking after for so long, she too felt her mentor's pain and heartbreak. It would almost be like watching your own child die.

So Sui-Feng made her mentor a promise, she would search the Rukongai high and low whenever she had the chance. She would find this boy and bring him to the Seireitei for her, and she would protect him with her life just as she would Yoruichi.

Yoruichi was touched and proved it by drawing her protégé into a warm embrace, whispering her thanks into the younger woman's ear and revelling in the bright blush the action brought to the young woman's face. When she released her she held her at arms length and smiled. "Thank you Sui-Feng, that means a lot to me; I'll be searching as well, a person who was as powerful as he was in life is bound to have staggering strength now that his soul is unbound from it's physical shell. It would do the whole of Soul Society some good to see that he's properly trained."

Sui-Feng nodded before kneeling at the foot of Yoruichi's futon, her head bowed submissively. "I promise you again Yoruichi-sama, I will find this boy, this I vow upon my very life."

**(SCENE BREAK)**

When Naruto opened his eyes to the world, the first thing he had noticed was that his normal clothing was gone, replaced by a plain beige kimono with white underclothing and a pair of straw sandals. He had also been standing in some sort of room with plain white walls at the back of a long line of similarly dressed individuals. Now though, after travelling for the past three days, he had gone to sleep in the centre of a large forest clearing at the edge of a wide lake. Bird-song filled the air, having been what woke him, and a soft breeze carried through and gently ruffled his hair like a doting father.

Pushing himself into a sitting position, he looked out over the clearing and took in the sight of the large lake that dominated over half of the clearing, it's crystal clear water affording him a view straight to the sandy lake-bed and dozens of schools of fish. Surrounding this clearing was a dense corpse of trees and shrubs, and beyond that his sharp ears could just barely make out the sound of a large mass of people; likely the village he'd entered upon first arriving in Soul Society.

Slowly dragging himself to his feet, Naruto moved into the shade of the trees before leaning against one and sliding back down to the grass. He was tired, and hungry, but he'd felt worse. He just needed to rest a little bit more and make his way back into the town before dark.

Thinking back on what had happened, Naruto rested his head on his knees and wrapped his arms around his legs. He'd died, and the shinigami had performed a 'konso' as she'd called it. Sending his soul to heaven or something. When he'd arrived he'd been greeted by another person wearing similar clothing and handed a ticket of some sort, it had simply said W3. He'd been directed to what they had called West Rukongai District Three or Hokutan. When he'd arrived, he opted to stay out of the village for the time being and made his way into the woods.

Now here he was sitting about in some woodland area alone, his memories before that particular instance being a little foggy, which came to him with more than a little concern.

He needed to come up with a plan of action, he may be dead, but he was still the same person he was before that. First, he needed food, then he needed to find some proper attire. There was far too little orange in this kimono for his liking, and a haori like the one the toads made for him would be nice too.

How he was going to get all of this he had no idea, but he would find a way. He was a Shinobi after all.

_**Six Months Later; Rukongai, Hokutan District**_

Six months had seen Naruto employing all the tools of his former trade that he was able to. Since chakra was now beyond his reach as a spirit, he'd had to meditate for several long days before finally coming into contact with another energy source, an energy source that felt familiar yet completely different. When out amongst the town-folk, he'd heard it referred to as Reiryoku, and he'd immediately set about attempting to harness this energy. It had taken him several weeks before he'd managed to actually access this power and then train a sufficient level of control over what he'd learned to classify as an immense amount of this particular energy.

Over the past six months he'd learned to reduce his reiatsu, or the ambient Reiryoku that flowed from a pair of 'vents' on his wrists, to the point that he was nearly undetectable, as was the way of the Shinobi to strike unseen. He'd used this ability along with others to—ahem—steal what he would need to survive, before he'd decided to build himself a house outside the village. That forest clearing sounded like a good place.

And so, there went a good four months of his time in Hokutan, without the use of Kage Bunshin it had taken much longer than it normally would have, but he'd increased his muscle definition a great deal. He'd built himself a traditional-style manor house reminiscent of one he'd seen during his genin days that he'd taken a liking to. It was a single floor surrounded by high walls with a large yard for training, the main building was a good sixty meters long and thirty meters wide, containing several bedrooms and a small kitchen with a large sitting room dominating most of the interior. The sitting room opened out into the yard, with a long deck framing that entire side of the house beneath the roof awning.

All in all, he was pleased with his work.

The next order of business had been learning how to use seals with this new energy. Which wasn't as difficult as he'd thought it would be. He'd simply needed to remove some kanji here, and add some kanji there, and the seals worked like they would when he was alive. Of course, he'd had a few close calls when he was trying to get the revised formula's right, but he wasn't a Level Ten Seals Master for nothing. As soon as he'd been sure of the results, he'd set about covering his body in seals for various purposes, from storage seals, to seals that were designed to absorb the reiatsu he couldn't safely suppress; this made him virtually impossible to detect unless you were looking right at him.

After five months, his new home was finished, the walls ringing what could be considered a small compound were lined with seals of varying effects. It was a veritable fortress, just how he wanted it. While inside the home, his energy and the energy of anyone inside would be completely undetectable, and the walls themselves would repel anyone who got too close that wasn't keyed into the master seal located inside the house. So unless he let them in, they wouldn't be getting inside no matter how powerful they were or how hard they tried.

He'd been unable to find any orange clothing, which shocked him a great deal, but he had managed to get himself a haori much like the one he'd worn when he was alive. He'd had it specially made by a tailor in the district, and frankly it was the finest piece of clothing he'd ever worn. It was identical to his sage cloak, crimson red with black flames lining the hem, which he wore open over a simple black hakama and mesh undershirt.

He'd had to fashion the mesh shirt himself, since no one seemed to know what he was talking about when he'd asked about them.

It wasn't orange, but it would suffice.

His hair had grown to shoulder length, and he'd decided not to cut it as his hair style was now more reminiscent of his fathers, just not quite as long. His bangs fell to frame his face, while what remained was pulled back and tied behind his head in a blaze styled tail. His whiskers, which had defined him in his life had slowly faded until they no longer adorned his cheeks, and his eyes had started getting even narrower than they'd been at the time of his death.

He was eighteen now after all and he finally looked his age; or at least he would have been had he still been alive. He didn't know how they defined a persons age in the after life, but he'd decided to draw up a calendar and count the days as they went by, starting from the day he'd died which had been the Thirteenth of September. It was now February the Fifteenth, almost six months exactly since he'd arrived in Hokutan, and he'd become known as the Hermit Sage by the people of the village. It was amusing actually, at least it was in the beginning; now he just wanted them to stop calling him Sage-sama whenever he dropped by to see how things were going with the few people he knew in the district.

Another thing he noticed was the rather large amount of traffic. Shinobi traffic that is. He'd seen them bounding about, looking for something or someone and his paranoia had almost immediately kicked into overdrive.

He'd made doubly sure to completely hide his reiryoku whenever he left his home at the lakeside, and kept to the shadows whenever he sensed them coming. He was an S-Ranked shinobi, so he wasn't too worried that they would find him even on his worst day, but there was no such thing as being too careful.

Like this particular instance; Naruto peeked out from the shadows of the alley he'd hidden himself in as several men and women dressed in black shinobi gear dashed overhead towards the outer districts, some dropping into the street to question the townsfolk, while others simply kept going on their paths and searching the village below with keen eyes.

Not keen enough though if Naruto had been who they were looking for. He'd never once had to speak with one of them, and he didn't much feel like doing so either. Death had made him rather weary of his old way of life and anything associated with it. He didn't know how things were run here, though he knew if he really wanted he could find out everything there was to know about this place in a couple of months.

He just didn't have that same drive he did while he was alive; he had no precious people here. At least, he didn't think so. He was certain at least some of his old friends from the Elemental Nations were out and about some place, but from what he'd already gathered from the townsfolk, Soul Society was immense in scale and it would take him hundreds of years to search it all.

So he didn't; he already had a reputation in the small town after all, so if anyone from the Elemental Nations really was here then they would be able to find him soon if word traveled far enough.

Checking to see if the coast was clear and not seeing any of the shinobi from earlier, Naruto ghosted out of the alleyway and blended with the crowds so that he didn't appear suspicious to any passersby, before heading over to a particular stall he'd had his eye on for a few weeks now.

Why?

Simple; because they had something there that reminded him of someone that was very dear to him. Walking up to the stall, the elderly man manning the small shop offered him a kindly smile before gesturing to his wares.

Lucky for the both of them, Naruto already knew what he wanted. It was a small ornate wooden pipe with an oaken finish, just like the pipe Old Man Sarutobi used regularly before he'd died. He picked it up, and dropped a small but heavy pouch of kan into the man's waiting hands before reaching into his haori where a seal was located and discreetly pulling out a small piece of paper with a single line of kanji. "I'll take the pipe and what's on this paper old man."

The old man looked at the paper and nodded, kind smile never once leaving his face, before he turned and pulled a tarp off of the cart he had positioned behind him, he double checked how much Naruto had paid before pulling a rather large bag almost as long as Naruto was tall and probably weighing about as much off of the cart and dragging it over to Naruto who took it from the man much to said vendor's relief and slung it over his shoulder without difficulty. He nodded to the vendor and turned on his heel, feeling anxious to get home due to all the shinobi he'd seen rushing about already. This wasn't even counting the men and women in the black kimono's he'd seen. They were really active today for some reason, and he was in no hurry to find out why.

About half an hour later Naruto found himself back home, using a minute amount of his reiryoku to unlock the seal on his door before entering and sliding it shut behind him. Moving out to the yard, Naruto made his way to a small shed he'd built for storage and opened the small door.

Lining the sides of the shed, there were a number of bags identical to the one he now carried, all full of pipe tobacco and filling the air inside the shed with a gentle cherry fragrance. Seals on the walls kept the contents fresh and prevented the shredded tobacco leaves from drying out. At the far back end of the shed stacked up to the ceiling, were over a dozen large barrels of sake. Or they would be sake when it was finished; seals on the barrels were doing most of the work, he'd merely prepared them and then stored them away.

It was the recipe for Myuboukuzan Firebrand Sake that he'd remembered from his time training with the toads, as their favourite summoner they'd given it to him as a sign of eternal friendship and to show their loyalty to him and any children he might have in the future.

Alas, Summoning contracts were for the living, and it was impossible for Naruto to summon them again. He only hoped that his children back in the Elemental Nations who he had never had the chance to meet before he'd died would sign the contract like he'd asked so that any questions they might have about their father could be answered by those who knew him best.

Tossing the bag into the shed, Naruto moved to one of the other large sacks and untied the ribbon keeping it closed before taking a smaller bag from within his haori and filling it. He then closed the sack and left the shed, closing the door behind him before making his way back into his home. He'd had time to gather furnishings for the place this last month, and he could finally feel comfortable calling it home.

Sitting down in a pile of cushions that he'd set to one side of the large sitting room, Naruto pulled out his new pipe and filled it before igniting a small flame on his finger. Lighting the contents of the pipe, he took a tentative puff and nearly coughed up a lung. It had to have been one of the most painful experiences of his young life, but he would get the hang of it.

Anything to keep the memory of at least one of his precious people alive in his heart.

After several tries, he was finally able to inhale the smoke and appreciate it's subtle flavour. He could understand why the old man Hokage had liked the stuff. He was relaxed for the first time since he'd come to Soul Society, even if he was a little light headed.

Sitting there in the almost deafening silence, Naruto finally let his memories come to the surface, as he reminisced about all the good times he had in his life. His death was one of many in that accursed war, but he was content in the knowledge that he'd managed to end the war before he'd died, and before all had been lost forever.

No one else would have to die because of Obito's mad plan for the world. The biju were free again just like he'd promised, and the souls of those Jinchuuriki that had died were able to pass on peacefully. He'd fulfilled his promises.

He could finally just... rest.

Several moments later Naruto sighed. "This is gonna be a long after-life."

_**Fifty Years Later(Approximately One Hundred and Fifty years Before Start of Bleach Cannon, and roughly Fifty Years before Yoruichi abandons her duties and flees Soul Society with Urahara and the Visoreds)**_

_**Location: Niban-tai Barracks**_

Yoruichi sat in her luxurious armchair, or more like sprawled across the arms and seat in what would appear to most as a feline fashion. She was currently counting off the reported sightings of a blonde haired man who'd been spotted numerous times in Hokutan, the third district of West Rukongai. Every time she'd tried sending a team to make an attempt at a retrieval, he would simply vanish, and wouldn't reappear for weeks, sometimes months. He was definitely living up to his talents and former occupation. Fifty years had passed in Soul Society since she'd konso'd the quite obviously depressed young man, and from what little information she had been able to gather so far, the man hadn't gone out of his way to form lasting bonds with anyone in Hokutan.

They called him the Hermit Sage. Strange name for a person living in the Rukongai; Hermit she could understand, but why a sage? He wasn't that old by Spiritual Standards, no he was quite young. Sages were powerful beings of unlimited wisdom and uncanny ability to do what would normally be impossible for the average individual, and were usually _very_ old.

Was he able to use his reiryoku? Did he even have more than the average plus? If so none of her scouts had reported sensing anything of the sort when they'd managed to actually locate him on his rare journeys into the town.

They hadn't even managed to follow him and learn of where he was living. Every time they tried he would employ masterful misdirection tactics against them and leave them in the middle of the district alone and terribly confused.

If he was able to do that to the Executive Militia, Shinigami that she had trained personally, then he had a much better grasp of what it meant to be part of the Onmitsukidou than many of the current members.

A Shinobi through and through, even in death.

Sighing Yoruichi sent out a pulse of reiatsu, and almost immediately her young protege Sui-Feng appeared in front of her, already kneeling with her fist to the floor and her head bowed. "You called Yoruichi-sama?"

Yoruichi rolled her eyes, she'd always hated those stuffy honorifics, yet she hadn't been able to get Sui-Feng to budge. With a quick look to the door, Yoruichi sat upright in her seat and folded her legs beneath her. "I need you to go to Hokutan and look for a man with long blonde hair tied in a long ponytail wearing a crimson haori with black flame pattern. He's usually smoking a pipe and simply wandering around aimlessly, or visiting a merchant in the area who sells his favourite brand of tobacco by the pound. When you find him, I want you to follow him, and absolutely do not allow him to become aware of your presence. Find out where he lives and gather any additional information that could prove useful; once this is done you may visit with him if you like once you've found out where his home is located, but return here and hand in your report as soon as possible."

Sui-Feng looked up at the beautiful woman before her and nodded, though she was slightly confused. Why would she want to visit with a target? It was rather unorthodox to be completely honest—then she remembered. "It's him isn't it, Yoruichi-sama? We found him?"

Yoruichi smiled. "Yeah it is him, and we haven't actually found him yet. All we know is that he is seen within Hokutan every few months to shop for supplies. Most of it varies from food, vegetable seeds, ingredients for what appears to be sake, tobacco and other necessities for living. We don't know if he has any more reiryoku than the average spirit even with these food purchases he's been making, simply because every time he's spotted my men can't sense anything out of the ordinary. Every time I try to send a team in for retrieval he gives them the slip with almost laughable ease and completely disappears." Yoruichi leaned back into her chair and sighed. "That's why I'm sending you Sui-Feng, out of all the members within the Executive Militia, you are by far my best agent, I'm sending you in alone so that you draw less attention. Try to blend in with the civilians, that means wearing a normal kimono in place of your shihakushou. Hopefully this will prevent him from spotting you. Once you've seen him, don't make contact until you've found out where he lives."

Sui-Feng nodded. "When do I leave."

"Immediately, as I said before he usually enters the town of Hokutan every few months for supplies, following his usual time table, he should be there soon. Within the next few days even." Yoruichi leaned down and put a gentle hand on Sui-Feng's head, making the younger woman blush near crimson. "You do this for me Sui-Feng, and I will be forever grateful to you my little bee. That young man is very important to me, and I would do anything to let him know that face to face."

Sui-Feng nodded meekly before standing and making her way from the room to prepare. This was a mission from her idol Yoruichi-sama, she would not fail; and perhaps, she could talk to this man when she found him and get a feel for his character. If Yoruichi was fond of him, then he must be an amazing individual. Then again, she didn't have very many nice things to say about Urahara. If that proved to not be the case, then she would do as her mentor asked but only out of respect for her and the promise she made her all those years ago.

Only the best would suit her Yoruichi-sama after all.

Around five hours later found Sui-Feng in Hokutan, or West Rukon District Three, in a small secluded corner of the market across from the small vendor her latest gathered Intel indicated as her target's most frequented place of business. She decided to set up shop here, dressed in a simple blue kimono she had purchased before leaving the seireitei. It was of a higher quality material, but in a district so close to the Seireitei it was more common to be well dressed. She had to leave her Zanpakutou behind, simply because this man would most likely be on the look-out for armed individuals, not just those wearing the identifying shihakushou.

She found herself thinking back on many of the stories that Yoruichi had told her about this man's life in District Thirteen as she waited for any sign of the man in question. From what Yoruichi-sama had told her, towards the end of his life he had actually been counted as one of the most powerful Shinobi to ever live, with strength comparable to that of the world's pseudo-deity known as the Rikudou Sennin; and that he'd died after defeating a Primordial God that even Yamamoto Sou-Taichou would have great difficulty simply matching.

This lead her to the conclusion, that had Yamamoto ever faced off against this young man before he'd died, Yamamoto would surely lose. Which was an almost ridiculous prospect. Coming from Yoruichi-sama however, it was actually believable.

The descriptions of the Juubi, and all of the limited information within the Archives, clearly stated that this was a beast capable of wiping entire nations off the map in the blink of an eye; a literal destroyer and creator of worlds. It was in league with the Spirit King itself, so it made sense that even Yamamoto would not wish to face such a beast even with an army standing behind him. To think that a boy, barely seventeen years of age had fought and defeated such a monster was incredible.

His entire life was full of what would normally be classed as impossible achievements; defeating enemies far above his calibre by utilizing an uncanny wit and the ability to come up with on the move tactics and employ them near instantaneously. It was a talent that would and should make any halfway decent tactician extremely weary of facing him on the field of battle. Even the most battle hardened tacticians needed to take time to think on their stratagems before employing them in the field, yet Naruto had the ability to come up with similar and even superior tactics on the fly.

From what she'd deduced from these stories, Naruto had spent his entire life honing this skill to a razors edge, while simultaneously growing stronger and stronger and subconsciously revising his tactics to accommodate his increase in power. He had grown so strong that a single attack could devastate entire landscapes, obliterate whole mountains, and actually disintegrate a human being by attacking them on a molecular level. Leaving nothing behind, not even dust.

He was a master of what they called Wind Manipulation, and was known as the Toad Sage of Mount Myuboku. He possessed startling control over the element of wind, to the point that it allowed him the ability of flight, and this Sage Mode she had been told about actually gave her chills thinking of the possibilities.

So lost in her thoughts, she almost didn't notice the flutter of cloth or the tall man wearing the sleeveless crimson haori until he'd made it to the vendor. Her head almost snapped up, but she restrained herself; if he was really as masterful as Yoruichi-sama had said, then he would definitely notice such a movement. Even if he were to put it off as simple shock at his size, it was a mistake she could not afford to make.

Speaking of size, Yoruichi hadn't told her that the man was so tall. From what she could see, he stood a foot and a half taller than her at the least standing at roughly 192 centimetres, with long blonde hair tied into a wild ponytail trailing down his back to his waist, with two long bangs framing a masculine face with an angular jaw and high cheekbones. Narrow oceanic blue eyes gazed out from underneath a low brow-line looking almost bored. His arms were covered in thick corded muscle, the result of years of training and actual combat experience, and his shoulders were broad, wide and squared. He was powerfully built, his torso forming the powerful 'V' shape that most men would kill for and allowing for a build that allowed for both explosive speed, endurance, and incredible strength.

With only a single look, Sui-Feng could tell this man was extremely dangerous. Like Yoruichi had said, she could not sense any reiryoku at all from the man, which in itself didn't make any sense no matter how you looked at it. Every soul had at least some reiryoku, extremely small amounts mind you, but it should be there. This didn't matter though, even without reiryoku, this man walked and moved like a trained warrior; every step he took was measured and there were no wasted movements. His breathing was perfectly regulated, obviously utilizing an advanced breathing technique that was difficult to master even while in meditation.

Sui-Feng watched from beneath her bangs, making sure to keep her reiryoku down to the level of a normal plus to avoid detection as Naruto made his purchases and waved to a few young women who were busy ogling him like a piece of meat, giggling away in their little huddle as he did so.

After that he turned, slinging the large sack of what she assumed was tobacco over his shoulder, and made his way towards the edge of the village. His pace was sedated and slow, and Sui-Feng had some difficulty making it look as if she were a normal young woman living in the district who was simply out to do some shopping of her own.

She stopped at several stands and shops as they made their way closer to the edge of the village, sometimes even moving ahead of him to enter a shop in his line of sight. When they finally reached the outer edge of the town Sui-Feng walked into a shop before walking out the back entrance, completely ignoring the rather disgruntled shop-keeper, and then blended with the shadows. Quickly moving to get Naruto back into her line of sight, she only just barely noticed him moving into a thick corpse of trees before vanishing into the shadows cast by the canopy overhead.

She quickly made after him, keeping low to the ground as she made her way through the alleys and across the small clearing before leaping into the high branches of the trees.

After that she could only ever catch small glimpses of the man, and worried that he'd caught on to her. If he was employing the same tactics he'd used against the Onmitsukidou against her then there was a good chance she would be lost inside the forest and forced to return the the town to try again another day.

Just when she was starting to think that she'd lost him, she came to a halt when she suddenly realized that there were no more trees in front of her. She was now looking out over a beautiful forest clearing, dominated on one side by a large crystal clear lake, and on another by a sprawling manor house surrounded by high walls, with a large training yard and a small shed nestled in one corner of the grounds.

This place was almost as large as the Niban-tai Barracks! And there at the door was the man whom she'd been following all this time. He did something to the door, and unless her eyes were playing tricks on her she was positive that the entire compound had just _shimmered, _once the phenomena had passed Naruto opened the door and disappeared within the large home.

Sui-Feng almost cheered out loud, she'd done it! She had accomplished what seasoned members of the Onmitsukidou could not do even with the help of several others keeping track of the same target. She found the home of someone important to her mentor whom they'd been searching for over the last fifty years. Yoruichi-sama was going to be thrilled!

After her little mental victory dance, Sui-Feng paused, placed a small locator beacon in the bark of the tree she was standing in and turned to leave before a thought struck her.

_'Yoruichi-sama did say it would be alright if I decided to visit for a little bit, and I'm honestly curious about this man.'_ Turning back to the house, Sui-Feng dropped down to the ground silently and stood to her full height in an attempt to gather up her courage. '_Just for a little bit, I won't stay long since I have to get back to Yoruichi-sama quickly_.' This man may not have any reiryoku, but his body and movements were those of an experienced warrior. She was not as strong as her mentor, and thus she had to be extremely careful in case he turned out to be a threat to her.

Walking up to the door she didn't even make it halfway before a shadow fell over her, quickly growing larger with every moment. Looking up, she only caught the silhouette of the attacker, before realizing it wasn't an attacker at all. With a dull sounding thump, a large man landed just five steps in front of her in a kneeling position, the man was tall and lean with dark brown hair falling about his head messily. When he looked up she was met by brown eyes and a stern expression, and when he stood she realized that he was standing at around Yoruichi'sama's height, roughly five foot four inches.

For a few moments they simply stared at each other, before the man straightened his back, puffin gout his chest in an attempt to look threatening. "What business have you in this place, the home of Hokutan's Hermit Sage?"

Sui-Feng blinked. Then blinked again. She had been expecting an attack from this individual, but it turns out he's simply the doorman? Breathing a discreet sigh of relief, Sui-Feng opened her mouth to speak, before another beat her to it.

"Let her in Jinzo, I wouldn't have brought her here if I didn't want her to come inside."

The voice had come from everywhere, yet seemingly nowhere. The fact that it had said he had brought her here made Sui-Feng sweat nervously. He had known she had been following him the whole time? Just how skilled was this man?

Looking about herself in a none to discreet way in search of the mysterious voice her eyes finally landed on a series of kanji on the wall not too far from where they were standing that were glowing with a faint reiatsu, but that made nearly no sense. Sure there were kido that allowed for instantaneous transmission of speech, but this looked like no kido she'd ever seen before.

The man in front of her looked sheepishly at the kanji on the wall and chuckled. "Sorry Saeji-sama, I didn't know you brought her here." Turning back to Sui-Feng, he gestured with his hand towards the door and Sui-Feng nodded before moving passed him. A sudden sniffle caught her attention as she reached the door, and when she turned back to Jinzo, she bore witness the the man bawling his eyes out. Streams of tears running down his cheeks comically. "To be able to enter the house of the sage... if only he would let me just take a peek inside. Such an honour that you have received little miss."

Sweat drop forming at the back of her head, Sui-Feng decided to ignore the strange man and pushed open the sliding shoji door with little difficulty. Taking a step inside, she was startled when the door closed behind her with a soft click, moving of it's own volition, as the entire doorway seemed to glow with a faint blue light before fading after a few seconds and all was well again.

Moving deeper into the house, Sui-Feng soon found herself admiring the traditional decor, this man definitely had good taste at the very least. When she found herself standing in a large sitting room, Sui-Feng immediately took notice of the man she'd been following before, Naruto, sitting upon a pile of cushions, pipe in hand and smoke drifting through parted lips. He was looking straight into her eyes with the most piercing gaze she'd ever seen, his eyes a shade of azure blue so brilliant it was almost like looking into the depths of the sea's themselves.

"Have a seat."

Sui-Feng started at the sound of his voice; since she was so close to him now, she could actually hear his voice without a filter like she had earlier. It was a smooth baritone, deep and soothing to the ear. When she did as instructed and took a seat in a pile of cushions only a few paces from the man, Naruto inhaled another lungful of smoke before slowly exhaling to the side.

"So, a shinigami graces my humble abode with their presence. You're quite skilled, but you need to be careful not to be so jumpy." Naruto stated curtly. "Tea?"

Sui-Feng blinked in confusion at the sudden change in his demeanour from that of a serious master giving a lecture to a student to that of an accommodating host, but nodded dumbly without thinking. In an instant, she had a steaming cup of what appeared to be black tea in her hands. It was hot, but not unbearably so, and taking a sip she found she very much liked the flavour.

"What brings you here?"

Sui-Feng mulled over her next choice of words carefully, there was a good chance he might not remember Yoruichi after living in Soul Society as long as he had already, and if she insulted him somehow there wasn't much she could do to stop him from attacking her, so she had to be careful. "I made a promise to Shihouin-hime, the twenty second generational head of the Shihouin Noble Family, that I would find you for her. I made this promise over fifty years ago now, and we've been looking for you ever since."

Naruto nodded, taking a sip of what appeared to be sake from the dish settled on a tray next to him. "I see, any particular reason why this person has been looking for me in particular?"

Sui-Feng sipped her tea, sitting in seiza upon the cushions and idly noting how much easier they made sieza. They were soft, very much so, and almost as large as she was. Though that wasn't saying much as she was admittedly quite the petite woman. "My mentor and Master, Yoruichi-sama, was the one who konso'd you when you died, Namikaze-sama."

Rather abruptly, Naruto waved his hand dismissively, trailing smoke from his pipe as he took another swig of sake. "Please, Naruto or Naruto-san are fine but please, Namikaze-sama is a bit much. Makes me feel old, and far more important than I really am."

Sui-Feng internally groaned, he was already starting to remind her of Yoruichi-sama. They both apparently had the same distaste for honorifics, but looking at this incredibly handsome, almost regal man in front of her, she could not suffer anything less. Just like Yoruichi-sama, she could tell this man was at least deserving of that much, and she would not show him any such disrespect. Perhaps a compromise then? Like what she had done with Yoruichi-sama?

Frowning slightly, Naruto thought back to fifty years ago, to the beautiful woman whom had been his last sight of the Elemental Nations. He had to admit, there were far worse ways to be sent off to the after life. He'd been expecting some grotesque and horrifying skeletal figure with a blood stained scythe after all. "Shihouin Yoruichi huh." He paused, taking a pull from his pipe before sipping his sake at a leisurely pace. "I knew I recognized that name, been a long time since I've heard it though. However, you still didn't answer my question, what does she want with a simple Hermit like me?"

Sui-Feng nodded, ignoring for now the lack of appropriate suffix, and set her now empty teacup onto her lap. "I am not quite certain that I am the best person to answer that question. I actually came simply to find you and inform her of your location. I believe she wants to visit you herself once I have submitted my report on my findings." Sui-Feng took a breath and scooted closer to the man who simply watched her calmly from where he sat. "I was also curious, as to the type of man whom could attract my mistress' attention and affection so completely."

Naruto raised a brow at the rather blunt declaration, but said nothing as he continued to puff away on his pipe. After a brief moment of thought, he finally sighed tiredly and looked out into the yard through the open shoji door. "What would you like to know?"

Sui-Feng had spent several hours in the home of Namikaze Naruto, and had learned far more than she had possibly bargained for. He had lived a tortured life of poverty and suffering, with pain enough to drive a hundred men to suicide. Yet he was still kind, and much like Yoruichi-sama he enjoyed teasing her all for the simple sake of eliciting a reaction from her.

He had her blushing beat red for almost the entirety of her visit, chuckling merrily all the while as he teased her mercilessly.

He had quite literally saved District Thirteen from absolute destruction, all because of a mad man's plot to enslave the entire world with a powerful illusion the likes of which she had never dreamed possible, even in her nightmares. He was also the subject of his own people's prejudice for much of his young life because of something far outside of his own control.

Sui-Feng nodded to herself as she walked the halls of the Niban-tai Barracks, on her way to Yoruichi-sama's personal quarters where she would likely be resting. He was a good man, with strong morals and a stronger sense of justice. She herself had learned much in only that single sitting; and she was glad that he had not unknowingly betrayed her expectations.

With a small blush that did not go unnoticed by a certain Taichou who had just opened the door of her room, Sui-Feng thought back on his appearance. He was definitely well trained and took very good care of his health, and his musculature attested to many long years of endlessly bettering himself. How strong he was however was still a mystery; as even though she were sitting right in front of him only a few short feet away, she had not been able to feel any reiryoku from him at all.

Then again, at the back of her mind she was having thoughts of an entirely different sort. Incredibly lustful thoughts she thought idly; she was young and had never been with a man before, her nightly escapades with Yoruichi being the only real form of 'sex' she had ever indulged in. The thought of his large masculine arms completely engulfing her tiny body as his mouth ravaged her own and his hands explored her every bump and crevice.

Her blush deepened as her thoughts took her even further into her lustful fantasy, trying to imagine what it would be like to have what was certain to be a massive cock spreading her open and plunging into her small body repeatedly turning her small blush into one that covered the entirety of her body.

She was knocked out of her thoughts though at the sound of a teasing laugh. "Having some dirty thoughts are we, Sui-Feng?"

Spluttering at being caught, even if she had no idea how her mentor and mistress was capable of reading her thoughts, Sui-Feng immediately bowed her head and coughed while trying and failing to hide her cherry red full-body blush. "Yoruichi-sama, I—what I mean to say is... uuuu."

Yoruichi laughed heartily and took Sui-Feng's hand, dragging the young woman into her room and then closing the door behind them. "I admit Sui-Feng, after the other night I was certain you would be fine for another few days, but you just can't get enough of me eh?"

Her blush darkened and Yoruichi raised an amused eyebrow. "Or did he really leave that much of an impression on you?" When no response came other than a large amount of steam bursting from the younger woman's ears, Yoruichi grinned. "Well lookie here; my little bee has herself a crush."

Immediately, Sui-Feng denied the accusation vehemently, but the full body blush that refused to die down was not helping in her case. "I only have eyes for you Yoruichi-sama! He may be incredibly, tall, and handsome, and smart, and kind and—and... yummy... uuuu." Once again she devolved into a groan as she realized she had only played further into her mentors hands.

Yoruichi laughed heartily, pulling the stuttering girl into a hug and patting her on the head. "Don't you worry my little Sui-Feng, it's perfectly natural. If his looks when he were a teenager were anything to go by, then I'm not gonna blame you for falling to that unwitting charm of his. He's a natural when it comes to attracting people, women especially, and he has been all his life. I highly doubt that's going to change now that he's dead."

Sui-Feng sighed, the feeling of bliss that overcame her every time she felt Yoruichi's arms fold her up in an embrace was almost too much to ignore. Thankfully her blush had receded, though her cheeks were still dusted with a light pink, so she started telling Yoruichi of everything she had learned. Her report on his physical features so that Yoruichi would be more easily capable of identifying him, where he lived in Hokutan, his self-proclaimed doorman; and even about the conversation she'd had with him over tea.

When all was said and done, Yoruichi had pulled the two of them onto her couch where they were now lying, with Sui-Feng cuddled up into her mentor's large bosom, and quickly losing her grasp on her consciousness.

Yoruichi smiled, her hand gently stroking the younger woman's head as the girl faded off the sleep. "You did well Sui-Feng, thank you for doing this for me. We'll go together and see him again tomorrow ne?"

A slight nod was her answer before Sui-Feng's gentle breath into her cleavage was the only sound to be heard. Yoruichi chuckled, the sensation being more than just a little ticklish, but continued affectionately stroking her proteges soft hair. "I'll get to see you again tomorrow Naruto, and then I can tell you everything that I've wanted to say since I first saw you all those years ago."

**(SCENE BREAK)**

All through the night Naruto didn't sleep. His mind was a whirling tide of thoughts and emotions, things he hadn't felt in a long time. Fifty years since he'd entered Soul Society and he'd never once allowed anyone into his home before yesterday. The petite young Shinigami was such a pretty little thing, with a heart of gold yet a countenance of iron. Too bad she was so stiff though, she wouldn't stop calling him 'Naruto-sama' no matter how much he asked; seeming to think that to call him otherwise would be an insult, which couldn't be farther from the truth.

So he'd reluctantly relented after a time, and when the morning sun broke over the tree line, bathing the lake in a golden hue that he never tired of, he prepared to receive his guests for the day. He'd sent Jinzo home, the young man meant well, but his idol worship was kind of annoying. It was the reason he'd never actually let him inside the compound.

That didn't seem to stop him though, almost the very next day Naruto had walked outside with his fishing pole in hand and seen a small house built into one of the larger trees not far from his compound.

His experience with the war had mellowed him considerably, and considering the most he could do in this after life was meditate and go fishing or train, he had become a much calmer individual than he had been in his younger days. Back then, things had been simpler, but he was coming to enjoy these little activities. Fishing for instance served several purposes.

It taught him patience, and to be ever attentive even when the waters were calm. To never let himself be caught off guard lest his catch get away from him. In a way, it had helped him keep his skills sharp, yet his paranoia had stuck with him. He often found himself with stiff shoulders, and muscles that ached from the strain of constant readiness.

Fifty years of always being ready for anyone stupid enough to jump him was doing a number on his body and his psyche.

With a sigh, Naruto checked his fishing line and went back to his thoughts when he'd noticed no activity on the surface of lake.

He'd already caught several fish since he'd started the night before and over the course of the day; several salmon, twelve mackerel, and a few sweet fish. He'd been fishing all night after he discovered that sleep wasn't coming to him. He'd already prepared several dishes, from ramen topped with grilled pork, radish, red onion, and a single egg; to oden and sukiyaki nabe(hot pot) dishes, the oden still simmering away inside. Taiyaki(grilled meat dish), Sashimi(raw fish dish), and Yakizakana(grilled fish) dishes had also been prepared over the course of the night and were being preserved in seals; all in all it was a feast fit for the Soul King himself. There was still more to be prepared, he had several rice dishes in mind after all, chahan(fried rice), some simple steamed rice for the rice bowls and maybe even some sushi(this is technically classified as a rice dish) if he had the time.

He had nothing better to do with his time, and he'd be damned if he didn't at least accommodate his first real guests in five decades properly.

Some of the fish he'd caught in the last hour or so would be going into his shed in special storage seals for later use, while the rest would be brought inside and added to the current dinner menu. He didn't know how much time he had until they arrived, but he had deactivated the security seals on the doors so that they wouldn't be repulsed or violently shocked on contact.

Hey, so he valued his privacy, he had the right to booby trap his front door if he wanted to.

A flicker of movement in the corner of his eye drew his attention to his fishing rod, and slowly, he moved into a proper sitting position, squatting down next to the rod but not touching it yet. He watched as the rod vibrated gently several times, before suddenly it was nearly yanked out of the ground. With lightning fast reflexes, Naruto snagged the rod and pulled hard.

The fish caught on his line, and came flying out of the water so fast it likely had no idea that it wasn't in the water anymore. Reaching up, he caught the fish in his free hand, before placing it under his arm so he could remove the hook.

Once that was done, he chucked the fish into one of the water buckets he had with him that still had space, before coiling up the fishing line and making his way to his front step. Leaning the rod against the wall, he was about to go back to the shore to collect his catch when he realized that he wasn't alone.

Looking over his shoulder, he took in a sight he hadn't seen in over fifty years. A beautiful woman with a slender body, wide hips and a generous bust, and legs that seemed to go on forever with short purplish hair and golden eyes looking at him with an impish grin. She was wearing something different this time though. She had foregone the white haori and black kimono, instead opting for a golden formal kimono with elegant purple patterns strewn about the fabric tied shut with an orange obi.

Next to her was the young woman from the other day, wearing a simple black kimono that he vaguely recognized as the uniform of those shinobi he'd seen all these years. She had a large blush on her face and was trying desperately to look anywhere but at him, which he found absolutely adorable.

Then there was the rather large man standing with them. He was a tall man standing at least over 200 centimetres, which surprised Naruto since he hadn't met anyone larger than himself before now; the man possessed a rather... bulbous build, and curly brown hair and a large chin. God that chin was huge. He was wearing a black kimono as well, but also had what appeared to be a badge of some sort on his left arm and a plush purple collar. He was looking about the clearing in what could almost be construed as disdain, his leering eyes passing over Naruto as if he wasn't even there.

Naruto's eyebrow twitched; was that a scoff he heard just then?

Yoruichi strode forward confidently, taking in his state of dress, which was more suited to working outdoors than his haori and usual garments. His mesh shirt was still in place, revealing his toned, muscular torso, and his legs were adorned with a pair of simple brown trousers instead of his hakama.

_'Very nice Naruto-kun. The years have definitely been kind to you.' _Yoruichi thought with an almost perverse inner chuckle. "It's been quite some time, ne Naruto?"

Naruto turned to face the woman who'd sent him off and nodded. "That it has, Yoruichi. I was just catching dinner, if you could wait for just a moment I'll go and bring it inside." He then turned to continue what he'd been doing, making his way over to the shore to gather up the several buckets of fish he'd caught that morning.

Yoruichi nodded, her impish grin never once leaving her face as Sui-Feng and the as of yet unidentified man walked up beside her.

"Taichou, is there a particular reason we are here? Visiting a commoner such as this should not have necessitated such fine dress." The large man stated rather loudly, and Yoruichi's grin disappeared.

"Omaeda, shut up."

"Hai, Taichou."

Once Naruto had made his way back over to them he gestured with his head towards the door and the three followed him inside. When the door closed behind them on it's own volition, Yoruichi raised an eyebrow and Omeada jumped while Sui-Feng, having seen it before, didn't show a reaction.

The three of them removed their footwear as Naruto disappeared into the house, leaving Sui-Feng to show them the way to the sitting room where a large table had been set up in the centre of the room, lined with cushions and place settings already adorning the surface.

Walking back in through the door from the yard after depositing several of the full buckets into the shed, Naruto carried the bucket he was still holding into the kitchen next to the sitting room. "Dinner should be ready soon, you all can take a seat wherever you like, I'll be with you shortly."

Yoruichi stated her affirmation and took a seat at one end of the table, the large pile of cushions at the other end reminding her of another friend of hers, while Sui-Feng sat at the side of the table to her left and Omaeda to her right, still looking about at the surroundings, though with less disdain since the house they were currently lounging in seemed more fit for a noble.

When Naruto returned once again he was holding a large tray bearing four small sake bottles and a tea pot with four cups and an equal number of sake dishes; he'd also somehow managed to change back into his usual attire, his red haori and black hakama, while he'd been out of sight. Setting the tray down on the table he took a bottle of sake and a dish before moving to the head of the table and setting himself down in the pile of cushions.

"Help yourselves, the sake's my own personal recipe and the tea was blended just this morning." Naruto poured some sake into his dish before setting the bottle on the table in front of him and settling back into his seat with a sigh, rolling his shoulders in an attempt to alleviate some of the tension.

Yoruichi took a bottle of sake and a dish before following Naruto's example, once she'd poured some sake into her own dish and placed the bottle back on the table, she took a tentative sip and her eyes went wide. She pulled back and looked at the dish in surprise before placing it back to her lips and tipping it back. "Damn, racking up some serious brownie points here mister. That is some damn good sake."

Sui-Feng, remembering how much she liked the tea from her previous visit simply poured herself a cup and took a sip, before smiling in delight with a sigh. Omaeda himself had taken some sake and had tried it himself before nodding, seemingly satisfied.

Naruto chuckled. "You can't have the recipe." He said it in a joking manner but they could tell he was serious, he had told Sui-Feng and Yoruichi had already known that it was a secret recipe handed down through the Toad Sages of Myubokuzan. "So, I heard you wanted to talk to me Yoruichi and here we are. Might as well get the serious stuff out of the way before dinner."

Yoruichi nodded, filling her dish with more sake before she spoke. "Do you remember how your father died? How he sealed the Kyuubi inside of you that day?"

Naruto nodded. "Ah, I do. He summoned a shinigami to aid him in powering the seal; since I highly doubt one of you ate him, with the exception of tubby over there, then that must mean the actual deal was a bit different then the one I know of."

Yoruichi sighed, ignoring Omaeda's scandalized expression. "It was. He will be unable to enter Soul Society for the next six hundred years, which means he will be instantly reincarnated upon death until that time is up. The full deal included another two clauses as well, the first was that a competent shinigami be sent to watch over his son and ensure that he didn't die before his time." At that Naruto raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected that, but he could make the connection pretty easily. "As you have probably just figured out, I was that Shinigami. It was my mission to keep you safe from the more supernatural elements. Demons, spirits and the like who would want to absorb your power and that of the demon who had been sealed inside of you. It was a relatively easy gig, since hollows don't actually enter District Thirteen because the inhabitants are so dangerous." Yoruichi paused to sip her sake and Naruto nodded, having figured as much; before he could ask what the second clause was however, Yoruichi reached into her kimono and pulled something from within the many folds, most likely from her cleavage. "This is the second clause of the agreement." What she had pulled out from within her kimono was a small piece of paper, it was coloured a bright gold and had writing on one side. "Congratulations Naruto, by Order of Central 46 and Yamamoto Sou-Taichou you are hereby the First Generational Head of the Namikaze lesser Noble House." Tossing the rigid tag over towards him, it landed on his end of the table with a dull thump to accompany the sound of Omaeda choking on his sake.

Naruto wasn't much better off, he had literally just been handed a golden ticket. Named as Nobility when he'd done nothing to deserve the title... well, at least he didn't think so anyway.

Many others would have looked at Naruto at this point in a full out dead-pan. Stupid Naruto, never changes.

Yoruichi wasn't finished though. "I've asked the Hachiban-tai-Taichou to have his men keep a close eye on your family in District Thirteen as well." At this Naruto's head snapped up, and he locked eyes with her. She was wearing a gentle smile now, and her golden eyes filled with warmth. "They're doing well; last I heard your kids had children of their own and have made it their mission to restore the Uzumaki and Namikaze Clans in District Thirteen. You are now the Grandfather of four girls and three boys, most of them look like you. Carbon copies almost." Reaching into her Kimono again, Yoruichi pulled out a small folder before picking up her sake, bottle and all, and moving around the table until she was sitting on his left. She set the folder down between them along with her sake, and opened it.

Naruto immediately reached down and picked up the first item that caught his eye. It was a photograph of an elderly woman whom he assumed to be Shion standing with four adults, two on either side. He recognized two of them immediately.

To her left, was a beautiful woman with short blonde hair a shade lighter than his own but just as wild, with eyes a shade of blue so clear they resembled the cloudless sky. She had his nose, but her mothers face, and standing next to her was a man who looked a great deal like Shikamaru. He even had the same lazy expression on his face and a similar pineapple styled hair-do. To her right there was a blonde man with purple eyes like Naruto's mother Kushina, he was tall, maybe about as tall as Naruto himself, and he was standing next to a slender young woman with short black hair and gentle green eyes.

Sitting at their feet and posing rather childishly for the camera were seven children only about six or seven years old at the most; four of them girls and three boys, three of them possessing black hair in various styles and the others all blonde haired and blue eyed. In the centre of them all was an old photo of Naruto from just before the war. He had a charming smile on his face and was giving a thumbs-up to the camera.

Kami he looked so young in that picture.

When his vision began to blur, he raised a hand and wiped at his eyes, his fingers coming away moist. He sniffed and set the photo back down on the folder and picked up the handkerchief next to a bowl in front of him. "Sorry bout this, must have something in my eye."

Omaeda scoffed, receiving a harsh glare from Sui-Feng who had at some point moved over to Naruto's other side and was now looking at the various photographs attached to the folder. There were papers within as well, all with various information about his children; occupations, education, bank accounts, everything they could possibly want to know.

"They're beautiful Naruto-sama; is that your wife?" Sui-Feng asked, indicating the elderly woman in the photo standing next to his photograph.

Naruto swallowed the lump in his throat, dabbing at the corner of his eye with a cloth. "We never married, though we were going to when the war ended. Mind you, I had probably close to six fiances before I died." Yoruichi merely chuckled, while Sui-Feng looked scandalized at that admission. Seeing her look Naruto waved his hand dismissively. "There are certain laws about restoring clans in the Elemental Nations that are shared throughout the villages. As the last living member of two clans it was my responsibility to repopulate them. This usually meant marrying more than one woman in an attempt to sire as many offspring as possible. Shion and I were successful, but I never had a chance to settle down with her and the others before the war started in earnest."

Sifting through the photo's on the table he saw a variety of different things. His son and daughter playing in a large sand-box in a park at five years old or so. Another picture of them training in the yard; and two pictures of them, one for each, which looked as if they'd come from their Shinobi Licenses. There were so many it was hard to count them all; their entire lives had been documented so that he, their father, could in a way watch them grow up. Turning over one of the photos of both his children who were simply standing in their shinobi gear looking seriously at the camera, Naruto choked.

Namikaze Uzumaki Kushina, 17; and Namikaze Uzumaki Minato, 17; First A-Rank Mission.

Setting the picture down on the table, Naruto closed the folder before bringing up one of his hands to cover his eyes, the other simply resting in his lap. That had really hit him hard, Shion had named their children after his parents, something that he'd always wanted to do when he'd been alive. Even after his death she had remembered that wish and honoured it, maybe it was because of his death that she had honoured it. He'd even noticed that one of their children was named after him, a little blonde boy with a grin so large it forced his eyes closed, much like his own when he was that age.

He felt like crying, and the tears were really building up; after so long thinking about them every day of his existence, to finally see some proof that they were all doing well had filled him with some pretty intense emotions. Mainly relief at seeing them doing so well; and happiness to see his lifelong dream fulfilled, even if he couldn't be there with them.

Feeling a pair of arms wrapping about his shoulders comfortingly, Naruto looked out from beneath his bangs to see a pair of warm golden eyes gazing back at him. "We can look at them later, we don't need to do this now." She said quietly. "I'd like to take a good look at them too, after looking after you for so long they're practically my family too after all."

Naruto nodded, taking a moment to compose himself as Yoruichi sat beside him, simply holding him comfortingly even if her arms could barely fit around his large frame.

When he'd finally composed himself, Naruto picked up his bottle of sake and looked out over the yard, a peaceful expression on his face. "At least I know they're doing well, that's all I ever could truly ask." Taking note of the setting sun, Naruto brought the bottle to his lips and tipped it back, draining half the bottle in one go. When he set it back on the table he cleared his throat and stood up, gently brushing Yoruichi's arms from his shoulders. "Well, I think dinner should be about ready. Hold on here a moment while I go get it."

When Naruto had disappeared around the corner into the kitchen, Yoruichi settled herself in her new seat and took a long drink of her own sake. Turning to Sui-Feng, who looked as if she were about to cry herself, she smiled. "What a ride ne?"

Sui-Feng nodded, offering her own small smile. "My apologies Yoruichi-sama, I need a moment to compose myself."

Yoruichi smirked. Her little bee was getting pretty attached to Naruto, which was a good thing of course. She wanted the two of them to be close, Naruto was wise beyond his years and could help Sui-Feng deal with things that were beyond her own experience. It also helped that he was a complete stud, perhaps he could help Sui-Feng out with a little problem now that he too was a Noble. A certain problem called a cherry in more vulgar terms.

When Naruto walked back into the room, he was carrying a large pot in his hands that he set down in the centre of the table. Taking his seat once again Yoruichi raised an eyebrow as both Sui-Feng and Omaeda looked at the pot in confusion.

"Ano, Naruto-sama; is that it?" Sui-Feng asked timidly, afraid to overstep her boundaries.

Naruto smacked his forehead in mock exasperation. "I knew I was forgetting something." Placing the middle and index fingers of his right hand on the surface of the table over a strange circular symbol filled with tiny kanji, there was a pulse of reiatsu that they could barely feel, followed by a flash of light and the table was suddenly full of what appeared to be at least a dozen different dishes. Sui-Feng's eyes were sparkling, since there were so many of her favourite dishes sitting in front of her; while Yoruichi was shocked and a little confused and Omaeda was salivating.

Naruto chuckled and waved his left arm over the table. "Go ahead and dig in, there's more than enough to go around."

Dinner was a rather noisy affair; after getting over his short emotional outburst, Naruto had started joking and even flirting with Yoruichi, much to Omaeda's dismay and Sui-Feng's eternal embarrassment since more often then not they turned their attention on her. The both of them teasing her mercilessly as they ate.

Yoruichi however was in a slight quandary; for fifty years she had wanted to tell him just what he'd been to her. She had thought she felt something along the lines of motherly affection for him. Now though she realized that she had actually fallen in love with him; his cheerful outlook on life while he was alive, his magnetic personality, his fox-like grin, and his dazzling blue eyes that seemingly reflected his every emotion like twin crystalline pools. His ability to draw others to him had seemingly ensnared her as well.

Deciding that it wasn't worth fretting over, Yoruichi simply fell into her normal rhythm, and was pleased when he seemed to be able to keep up. Teasing and flirting like an old pro.

Then again he was technically a father, such things came with experience; and while he was not as experienced in the ways of lust and love as Yoruichi herself was, he was learning quickly.

Surprisingly enough, her Fuku-Taichou whom had initially taken great lengths to show his dislike for their host, had warmed up to him and the two were sharing drinks and laughing together like old friends. Singing a collection drinking songs, while drowning themselves in sake.

Sui-Feng however was the most surprising, and had taken to sitting in his lap as she drank her tea, her much smaller form fitting in the dip in his crossed legs near perfectly, the crown of her head barely reaching his collar. She had been right when she'd teased Sui-Feng about her crush, because the girl hadn't stopped blushing since he'd pulled her there. She knew Naruto found it difficult not to tease the girl, but he seemed to genuinely like her, perhaps he even saw her as a second daughter, like the one he'd never had the chance to spoil before he'd died.

After dinner was finished, Naruto offered them a place to stay for the night since it had gotten late, and had offered to lug his new drinking buddy to a room to sleep it off, since Omaeda was currently an unconscious drooling mess on the floor.

Accepting the offer Yoruichi watched as Naruto hefted the large man onto his shoulder and led the two women to a room, since Yoruichi had told him they were fine with sharing. He then left down the hall with Marenoshin slung over his shoulder as Sui-Feng and Yoruichi got themselves settled in for the night.

"Yoruichi-sama, you seem much happier now." Sui-Feng stated calmly as she got herself settled in her futon. "I'm glad you got to see him again, you were so sad before."

Yoruichi smirked and looked Sui-Feng dead in the eye, intentionally making the girl quite nervous. "I am happier, I finally got to see someone I care about after fifty years not knowing how he was living or where; but it seems someone else got to indulge in her fantasies tonight as well, ne Sui-Feng. I think you looked so cute together."

Sui-Feng blushed scarlet and buried her head under the blankets, hiding herself from view. With a smirk Yoruichi tossed her kimono into the corner of the room, not all that fond of formal wear, but the Clan Elders had insisted since she was literally handing over the title of Nobility to a man who had slain a god in his lifetime. Thus, she needed to make a good first impression. Now bereft of the stifling kimono, Yoruichi was left in her Onmitsukidou Uniform; consisting of a black kimono that left her shoulders and back exposed, along with a good portion of her sides and the sides of her breasts, and a pair of black stretch pants and simple sandals.

The Namikaze Lesser Noble House was already being called the House of the God-slayer; and he'd only been a noble for a few hours; the elders of her clan were obviously planning something if they were trying to spread word of a new Noble so quickly. She wouldn't worry about it for now, since she already had an idea of just what their plans were. Honestly she wasn't bothered by it for once, but it would ultimately be up to Naruto.

An hour later, when she was certain that Sui-Feng had drifted off to sleep, she left their room and silently made her way back to the sitting room where she was certain she would find the person she was looking for. Sure enough, he was there on the deck overlooking the yard, smoking his pipe with the folder detailing the lives of his children and grandchildren sitting in his lap. Looking over the photographs with something akin to reverence.

Sitting down next to him, Yoruichi almost burst out laughing when he glanced over at her and his eyes immediately gravitated to the exposed sides of her breasts and an atomic blush lit up his face before he turned back to the photos, trying to play off the event as if nothing had happened.

"Mind if I join you Naruto? I haven't had much of a chance to go over these in anything but an official setting." Yoruichi asked quietly, seeing him nod and feeling a little devious, Yoruichi plucked the folder from his lap being careful not to send any of the loose pictures flying, before she rose to her feet and deposited herself in it's place.

Naruto blinked, this was the second time in one day he'd had a beautiful woman sitting in his lap, her legs crossed and her toned yet soft backside pressing almost painfully into his crotch, but it wasn't overly uncomfortable, to be totally honest with himself it actually felt nice.

For a few hours, as the moon rose overhead and offered them a pleasant view of the lakes waters bathed in it's silvery luminescence, the two sat there on the deck, Naruto having put his pipe away for the time being and having wrapped his arms about her waist so he could get at the photographs and articles in her lap. They spoke quietly with small smiles, going over the different information within the small folder and then looking at the pictures attached to a particular paragraph; laughing at particularly funny instances in the lives documented there, and crying at the sad times, like when their first family pet had died after having stuck it out with them for close to forty years.

Eventually the two had put the file to the side and simply sat there, Naruto's arms wrapped around Yoruichi's waist as they looked out over the crystal clear waters of the lake. Yoruichi frowned when a thought struck her. "Isn't there a wall around this compound?" Leaning her head back against his shoulder and tilting it back so she could see his face, she started running her hands up and down his forearm. Not in an attempt to get a reaction, she just felt an all encompassing need to touch him, to feel his skin beneath her hands.

Naruto grunted. "There are several seals laid into those walls, one particular set of seals is designed to make the walls transparent from the inside. That way I wouldn't rob myself of the view."

"Hmm." Humming in contentment and understanding, Yoruichi continued what she was doing, ignoring almost all else. It was nice, sitting with him like this, she almost didn't want to leave but they needed to get some sleep. They both needed to be in the Seireitei tomorrow, something she had told him during dinner, so that he could be assessed for ability and formally introduced to the Sou-Taichou. If he was accepted into the Goteijusantai, then Yoruichi had already offered to train him alongside Sui-Feng, and he would become a member of the Onmitsukidou. The Corps Commander if she had her way.

Patting him on the arm, Yoruichi made to stand, before turning and pulling Naruto to his own after he'd gathered up the file. "It's time we got some sleep, we have a lot to do tomorrow and you need to actually be awake to meet with the Sou-Taichou."

Naruto pouted childishly. "Do I have to? Can't he just talk to my unconscious body instead?"

Chuckling Yoruichi took his hand and pulled him along down the hall. Opening doors at random until she found the one she was looking for, completely failing to realize that the room she was looking for belonged to the very person she was dragging behind her.

She was eventually treated to the sight of a large bedroom, with a single futon already neatly laid out on the tatami. It was incredibly spartan, with only the bed and a desk at the far end littered with sheets of paper covered in scrawls, and a single candle set near the back of the desk. Pulling him into the room Yoruichi smirked back at him before taking hold of his shoulders and pulling him down. "Now get to bed, I'll see you in the morning." Then she did something not entirely out of character for her, but absolutely shocking for Naruto. She pulled him down even further until her lips pressed against his own in a gentle kiss. It was gentle, not meant to inspire lust but to show him the love she felt for him, it was soft yet confident, chaste yet full of passion. When she pulled away, her cheeks were lightly flushed and she could only smile at the dumbstruck expression on Naruto's face. "Good night Naruto."

Standing there, shocked out of his mind, Naruto's mind went blank. He didn't even notice that Yoruichi had left his room until the door behind him slid closed with a quiet click. Even then he didn't move for some time, simply brushing his fingers against his lips where she'd kissed him. Fifty years without substantial human interaction or affection of any kind had left him ill-prepared for such a thing, and from a woman he barely knew even more so.

Finally, after standing around in a daze for several long minutes that felt like hours, Naruto shrugged off his outerwear, placed the file he was holding on his desk, and then crawled into bed, determined to force himself to sleep if need be.

Alas that wasn't necessary, since almost the second his head touched his pillow, he was off to dreamland.

**(SCENE BREAK)**

The next day, after a light breakfast of grilled fish and rice, served with iced tea and Miso soup, the group made their way out of Hokutan.

Yoruichi grumbled about having to wear such stuffy clothing for a good portion of their trip, and not being able to wait to get back into her Taichou Uniform. The sentiment made Naruto chuckle, as he himself had simply gone with what he was comfortable in. His red haori, fish-net shirt and hakama. He too wasn't much one for standing on ceremony, and he absolutely hated formal wear; so he didn't wear anything that was any more expensive than what he had on.

The group made good time, and Yoruichi and Sui-Feng were both pleasantly surprised that Naruto was capable of keeping up with them, even while using Shunpo. He was fast, almost unbelievably so, and only seemed to get faster as they travelled. Then again, Yoruichi realized suddenly that Naruto was a visual-kinetic learner; he learned best by watching someone demonstrate a technique he wanted to learn and then practising on his own. The fact he learned Shunpo just by watching a few Shinigami over the years was not so surprising when she thought of it that way.

It also confirmed her suspicion that Naruto did indeed have a larger than average well of reiryoku, but she couldn't feel his reiatsu at all. Knowing him though, he must have found a way to hide his presence in its' entirety somehow.

Deciding she might as well wait to ask her questions for some other time, Yoruichi held her tongue and continued on her way, with Sui-Feng directly behind her and Naruto beside her, with Omaeda bringing up the rear.

When they arrived in the Seireitei a few hours later, they had shown their passes to the Gate Guardian Jidanbo who greeted them with a large smile, before they made their way towards the Ichiban-tai Barracks and the Captains Meeting Room. First though, they had to make a small detour so that Yoruichi could change into Uniform.

Once the group arrived at the Niban-tai barracks, the group split off, with Omaeda offering Naruto a quick tour of what he was certain would be a place Naruto would be frequenting in the near future. When Naruto accepted, the large man immediately started off towards the training fields, and beckoned for Naruto follow after him.

When the two men were out of sight Yoruichi and Sui-Feng made their way to the Captains Quarters so that Yoruichi could change.

"This is our Squad Training Ground. We have regular training sessions here, and the Taichou often joins us in our sparring matches to offer personal instruction to those who need it." Omaeda stated proudly; and within the said training ground, several Shinobi were bounding about throwing punches and kicks at each other in what Omaeda described as pure 'Hakuda' matches to improve skill and endurance.

Moving on he showed him the actual barracks where the unseated and seated officers excluding himself and Sui-Feng slept, then directed their attention to the main building where the administrative offices were located. Their tour was cut a little short when Yoruichi reappeared in her shihakushou and white haori, though, but Naruto wasn't complaining. "Having fun you two?"

Omaeda saluted the woman as Sui-Feng appeared next to her, standing at her shoulder dutifully. "I was just giving Namikaze-sama a tour of the facilities Taichou."

Yoruichi smirked and turned her attention to Naruto, who had hung his head and placed a hand to his forehead in exasperation. "How do you like it Naruto?"

Naruto looked up again, dragging his hand down his face. "It's nice, but aren't we supposed to be somewhere Yoruichi?"

Yoruichi frowned, then pouted childishly. "Did you call call my amazing barracks, 'nice'? Not awesome, or amazing, or awe inspiring. Just _nice_?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, it's nice; and we have an appointment correct. We should get moving before we end up emulating an old friend of mine."

Yoruichi snorted after a moment of thought, knowing exactly who he was talking about. Kami-sama bless that man for providing her with endless hours of amusement at his expense.

After a moment or two quietly snickering to herself, Yoruichi nodded and ordered Omaeda along as well since this meeting would require the presence of both the Taichou's and their Fuku-Taichou's. Sui-Feng would have to remain behind as she wasn't even a seated officer yet, even though she was nearly as strong as Omaeda.

When the three of them were finished saying their goodbyes to Sui-Feng, leaving her to train in the yard with the other members of the Onmitsukidou, they left the Niban-tai barracks and made their way deeper into Seireitei.

It only took them another twenty minutes to arrive at the Ichiban-tai barracks, and when they did they were greeted by the Sasakibe Chojiro, the squad's Fuku-Taichou. He immediately directed Naruto through a set of shoji doors which Naruto quickly realized upon entry led into the office of a short old man with a very long white beard and large eyebrows. Looking back at Yoruichi, she nodded and then left for the far end of the hall with Chojiro following behind her.

Closing the door behind him, Naruto made his way over to the desk, standing in front of it and submitting himself to the older man's closed eyed scrutiny. After several moments, the old man opened one of his eyes only very slightly and spoke.

"Your reiatsu is being actively suppressed, masterfully as well if I might add Namikaze-san." Yamamoto stated calmly. "I believe it has something to do with those symbols on your wrists?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow, surprised by the elderly man's ability to see passed the seals he had placed on the 'vents' on his wrist, which were the source of the outward flow of reiryoku that produced a being's reiatsu. With a nod, Naruto remained silent, waiting for the older man to continue.

"Very interesting Namikaze-san, those symbols create some sort of extremely complicated kido unlike any I've seen. Derived from your time living in District Thirteen I presume?" Another nod, and Yamamoto's eye closed once more. "I would like to introduce you to the Captains in a moment, since you will undoubtedly be working with them in the near future; but first I would like to ask how you have been faring here in Soul Society."

Naruto brushed a hand through his hair, and sighed. "Better than can be expected actually, I've been to some of the outer districts of the Rukongai, and I'm lucky I was placed where I was. It took me quite a few weeks to adapt to using reiryoku after all, so for those first few weeks I was essentially powerless." Pausing for a moment and taking in the elderly man's lack of reaction, Naruto cleared his throat and continued on. "I managed to build myself a compound out in Hokutan, and have been living off the land for the most part ever since. Other than that, it hasn't been too bad... other than the boredom that quite regularly set in on me."

An odd sound, almost like chuckling met his ears then. "Perhaps we can fix that. You have quite the vast reserves of reiryoku, quite a bit greater than any I've sensed in my many years. Perhaps the title the Shihouin Clan Elders have bestowed upon you was more accurate than we had originally assumed."

"God-Slayer huh." Naruto muttered distastefully.

Yamamoto nodded before standing from his seat and picking up his cane from where it had been leaning against his desk. "You did after all slay a primordial demon god known as the Juubi while you were alive, and barely seventeen years old, so the title itself holds truth to it." Walking around his desk, Yamamoto stood next to Naruto, his presence actually making the hair on the back of his next stand on end at the proximity. "Never-the-less, for the time being I see great potential in you Namikaze-san. Please do not betray the trust I am placing in you by allowing you to join the Goteijusantai."

Naruto nodded, and the two were off for the meeting hall where the Taichou of the Goteijusantai were waiting for them to arrive.

When they did arrive, the other Captains were standing in two rows on either side of the door, leading up to a raised platform where Naruto assumed Yamamoto would stand. When he was proven right, Naruto deigned to stand in the very centre of the room, with Captains on both sides and Yamamoto in front of him.

Tapping the bottom of his can on the floor, Yamamoto peered out at his Captains from beneath his brows. "I hereby call this meeting to Order; we are here to discuss the Official In-statement of the Namikaze Clan here in the Seireitei as one of the lesser Noble Houses, and what this could mean for Soul Society as a whole. We must also make a decision as to which Division the First Generation Head of the Family will be joining and representing in their Clan's colours."

This was something Naruto didn't see coming, but he was a Shinobi, so he already had an idea of his own. "My apologies Sou-Taichou, but based on my already existing skill-set, would it not be best to have me placed in the Niban-tai?"

Yamamoto frowned in thought before seeming to come to a quick decision. "As the Niban-tai is already represented by the Shihouin Royal Family, I am not so certain that would be wise."

Yoruichi stepped forward and turned her attention directly on the Sou-Taichou. "I've already discussed it with the Elders of Tenshiheisōban, and they have agreed to allow the Namikaze Clan Complete control of the Onmitsukidou; we already have enough on our plate as it is Sou-Taichou-sama, and it would be a great help, not only to myself but to the Omaeda Clan as well, as they have been a part of the Patrol Corps operations for some time and are unable to shoulder any additional burdens."

Yamamoto nodded appreciatively in Yoruichi's general direction as she stepped back in to place, before he turned his attention on Naruto. "Is this acceptable?"

Naruto turned his attention to Yoruichi for a moment with a raised eyebrow before nodding mutely. That was when the sweat-drop formed on the back of his head as Yoruichi pumped a fist in victory. The thoughts going through her head being rather joyous about how much paperwork she had been able to pawn off on someone else. This meant far less cramping in her wrists and hands from now on. Yay.

"Then it is decided, Namikaze-san will be inducted into the Niban-tai as the new head of the Onmitsukidou; Shihouin-Taichou, from here on you will be responsible for his training. There is much he still needs to learn about the duties of a Shinigami, not to mention his new duties as head of the Onmitsukidou. Until he is properly acclimated, he is your responsibility."

Yoruichi nodded and sent a wink his way, sending a strange shudder down his spine. Why did he suddenly feel like he'd just been thrown to the metaphorical wolves?

"Then with this, Welcome to the Goteijusantai, Namikaze Naruto-san."

**(AN: Bad spot for a Time-Skip, but I wasn't entirely sure how to go with that. So, we're time skipping to around the time of the disaster known as the creation of the Visoreds, and from here, we'll see the real start of this story)**

_**Forty two years later, Approximately One Hundred and Ten Years Before Start of Bleach Canon**_

Naruto sighed once again as he looked out over the last batch of new recruits. He could already tell that they were going to require a lot of work, and he honestly didn't know how to start. The last time he'd taken on new recruits they already had a good grasp of the basics for this particular profession, this time though, he had taken them fresh from the Academy instead of the the Detention Force or Patrol Corp.

These new recruits were fresh faced and thought they were ready for anything, but oh how wrong they were. Naruto had only been a member of the Goteijusantai for about forty years now, but he'd seen things that any normal person would have been greatly disturbed by. He wouldn't go over it in detail with anyone at any time, but he'd seen things. Things that refused to leave his memories, and by proxy him, in peace. Things that to this day still haunted his dreams.

Like that incident with Miyako and Kaien, of whom both were among his closest friends. He had been introduced to the Shiba Clan Members by Yoruichi and her friend Urahara, the Juniban-tai Taichou and head of the Gijutsukaihatsu Kyoku(Technological Development Department), about thirty some odd years back after Yoruichi had decided that he had acclimated to his position more quickly than she'd thought he would. Even after knowing him for as long as she had, some things still surprised her.

He had immediately hit it off with Kaien and his sister Kukaku; while Ganju saw him much like he did Kukaku, thanks to their similar styles of dress and propensity to beat the ever loving shit out of things that pissed them off. So Ganju was more terrified of him than anything else, when he'd punched the youngest Shiba straight in the face after he'd had told him to "Go jump off a cliff and die _old man_", probably didn't help much either.

Now, it wasn't the part about effectively telling him to go and commit suicide that had pissed him off. No, he just refused to be called 'Old Man'; he wasn't that old damn it, he was barely over a hundred, even including his seventeen years of living.

After meeting them he'd been introduced to Isshin, one of the Taichou from the meeting he'd attended roughly ten years prior, and like his Niece and Nephew though on a slightly different wavelength, the two had become fast friends.

It was a few years later after Kaien had taken the position as Lieutenant of the Jusanban-tai, that something terrible happened. Naruto had been out visiting his old home in Hokutan when he'd sensed the Hollow, but something about it had been off. Way off.

**(Flashback: Attack of Metastacia)**

_Sitting on his deck, looking out over the lake set in front of his home, Naruto smoked his pipe while wondering about his current life. He could honestly say he enjoyed having friends again, having precious people. Ever since that night where Yoruichi had kissed him goodnight, she hadn't done anything like it again. Well, not exactly like it._

_She would pinch his backside when passing him by in the barracks, or tease him by sneaking up on him and pressing her breasts against his back while he did paperwork. Relatively speaking, she had actually gotten bolder since that night._

_He had to admit he was attracted to her, but what hot blooded male wouldn't be? The woman was gorgeous, blessed with a curvaceous and slender body, and mischievous golden eyes that reminded him of a feline. Graceful, powerful, athletic, flirtatious, and possessing an amazing sense of humour not so dissimilar from his own. She was a woman most men could only ever dream about. The perfect woman from any teenager's heated fantasies. Even though he wasn't a teenager anymore, she made him feel like one again. Was he in love with her? Perhaps, but to him it was still too soon to know for sure._

_With a sigh, Naruto tipped his pipe and tapped the contents out onto the grass beneath his deck, it was then that he felt it. A familiar tingling at the edge of his senses a familiar yet strange reiatsu, both hollow and shinigami, and yet the reiatsu that felt more shinigami in nature was slowly fading. Eyes snapping wide open in shock when he recognized this particular shinigami's reiatsu, Naruto literally tore apart his deck as he leaped from from his yard and over the wall, splintering the wood and sending pieces of shattered mahogany flying about in frenzied flight._

_He ran in her direction with bursts of repeated shunpo, blasting over the village of Hokutan so quickly not even the shinigami on duty had been able to make him out as a blur against the evening sky; and when he finally reached the area he'd sensed the strange reiatsu emanating from, he was met with a grisly sight. _

_Six corpses laid on the ground, slowly disintegrating as life left them, body parts strewn across the small forest clearing in a gory mess. Naruto grunted his displeasure, his sense of smell being quite a bit stronger than most, so this was bothering him more than such a sight usually would. It was always the smell that got to him._

_Looking up at the sound of something moving, Naruto's eyes went wide in shock as a shadowy figure emerged from the underbrush._

"_Miyako-san?"_

_Shiba Kaien was a nervous wreck as he and Ukitake Juushiro, his superior officer and Taichou of the Jusanban-tai, made their way towards the last known location of Miyako's squad. He knew there was something strange about that mission, ever since he first heard what it entailed, yet he didn't think even Miyako would fall prey to this strange hollow; but when a frantic survivor of this particular disaster had burst through the doors of the barracks screaming his head off for help, Kaien had known right then and there that he'd had good reason to worry._

_His only relief was that he could still feel her reiatsu, it was faint but it was there. So he had set a frantic pace, his ill captain easily keeping up with him as he did so. It was when they arrived that they were treated to a surprise however._

_There were two individuals standing in the forest clearing, one was unmistakably his Miyako, yet something was wrong with her. Most of her face was shadowed, yet there were two dark red glowing eyes leering out from beneath her messy bangs, and the most ghastly of smiles was on her face._

_The other individual however, was someone who was supposedly on a short leave from his duties. Namikaze Naruto, the leader of the Onmitsukidou was standing across from Miyako, one of his hands resting on the hilt of his wakizashi Zanpakutou, while the other was holding what appeared to be a small square of rough parchment. His visage was calm and analyzing, yet his posture was simply menacing. The man was quite large after all, and when all of such a man's muscles were tensed in preparation to cut you down, you're damn right it was terrifying._

_Dropping down into the clearing, both Ukitake-Taichou and Kaien took up position on either side of the young Noble, looking across at Miyako who hadn't budged an inch since they'd arrived._

"_Naruto-kun, could you tell us what's going on, and most importantly what it is you're doing?" Juushiro was the first to speak and Naruto barely moved to acknowledge his presence. Simply grunting an affirmative before speaking quietly. _

"_I sensed something strange with Miyako's reiatsu while I was sitting at home enjoying my short vacation, and rushed straight here; this is what I found, six dead bodies and Miyako. She attacked me almost as soon as I'd acknowledged her presence, while her reiatsu is being suppressed and her reiryoku seemingly devoured by a Hollow of some kind, a Hollow which I believe is actually inside her body at the moment." Naruto answered calmly. "I managed to quickly subdue her with a stasis seal, which I'm holding the key for right now, and it seems to have also halted the Hollow in it's tracks. Her reiatsu hasn't been getting any weaker since I activated it, and the hollow has simply been staring at me the entire time since."_

_Juushiro nodded and Kaien took a step forward before coming to an abrupt stop at the sound of Naruto shouting._

"_Do not go near her, Kaien.!" Naruto growled as he moved his right foot outwards and started dragging it through the dirt. "Not until I've finished; if you get too close there's a good chance you'll disrupt my stasis seal and the hollow will get loose." Kaien nodded numbly and stepped back, Juushiro simply looking confused at the use of the word seal so many times when he could not sense any active kido. When he asked, Naruto simply replied, "Trade secret." and went back to what he was doing._

_Slowly, Naruto started moving around Miyako in a wide circle, using his feet to draw something in the dirt every few feet. He kept his eyes trained on Miyako's possessed body as he moved, not even blinking. When he finally made his way all the way around, he stamped his foot down on the first marking he'd made earlier and shouted, "FUIN!"_

_Blue light erupted from the earth all around Miyako, blocking her from view and shooting into the sky for miles. Kaien, fearing the worst almost made to jump into the light before his shihakushou was snagged by a strong grip and he was yanked away from the pillar of light and dropped on his ass by a disgruntled Shinobi._

"_Don't be getting so stressed out Kaien." Naruto grumbled, having finally dropped the tag he'd been holding and drawing his sword. "It took me a while to figure something out to save Miyako, which is why I had her in the stasis seal in the first place; the seal that I just drew however is used to expel alien elements from the host body. It can be used for any manner of things, Healing, and Exorcisms being among the most common of uses since the seal is indiscriminate. It's not to be used on a pregnant woman though, especially when it's had this much reiryoku pumped into it. I just haven't figured out a name for it yet..." The last part of that statement was added as an inconsequential after thought, and almost made Kaien face palm at the poor timing._

_After he'd finished explaining the uses of the seal, the light had begun to fade and the trio could just barely make out two forms within the fading light. One was humanoid and quite obviously the object of Kaien's worry, while the other was most definitely a hollow. It was large and almost spider-like, with dozens of strange tentacles all frozen in place by the stasis seal, seemingly being the last parts of the hollows body to be expelled from the young woman as they were all reaching towards her back and nearly touching her shihakushou._

_Not wasting even a second, Naruto dashed forward, breaking through the boundary of the stasis seal and releasing those inside it. Miyako had fallen limply to the earth while the hollow went flying towards the tree line. Before it could right itself though, Naruto appeared above it in a burst of shunpo, his sword already driven into it's mask up to the hilt._

"_Ja ne, Hollow-teme." Naruto growled angrily as the hollow screamed in pain and began disintigrating._

_Landing on his feet after ripping his sword from what remained of the hollows face, Naruto swiped his sword, sending the hollow's blood splattering to the grass, before sliding it back into it's scabbard on his lower back just as the disintigrating corpse of the strange hollow crashed into the trees behind him._

_Naruto scoffed over his shoulder before facing forward and making his way over to the limp body in the centre of charred earth that had been the result of such a massive release of pure reishi. Kneeling down so he could roll her onto her back, Naruto hoisted her torso into his arm and used his other hand to check for a pulse. Letting out a breath he'd been holding in relief, he turned to the stunned Captain and his Lieutenant with a serious expression on his face. "She's alive, but incredibly weak, she needs immediate medical attention Taichou."_

_Juushiro nodded and motioned for Kaien to take her. "We'll need to transport her to the barracks of the Yonban-tai, Unohana-Taichou can take much better care of her than anyone else in all of Seireitei."_

_Kaien nodded, leaning down to pick up the limp form of his wife before sending Naruto an appreciative nod. "Thank you, Naruto-dono. For what you've done for me today, I am honoured that I call you my friend, no; my brother."_

_Juushiro then turned to Naruto and smiled uneasily. "I know you were on a short holiday Namikaze-san, but I'll need you to hand in a report on what happened here to Yamamoto-sou-taichou immediately."_

_Naruto groaned and ran a hand through his hair at that particular statement, just the thing he needed to top off the night. "Damn it, yeah I get it. There goes my vacation."_

**(Flashback End)**

He had been a little upset that his well deserved vacation was being interrupted, but considering one of his few precious people had been in danger, it was worth it to save her. She recovered quickly under Unohana's attentive care and was very thankful to him for saving her life; Naruto had been on very good terms with the entirety of the Shiba Clan ever since then, and was often invited for dinners and even the odd party. Kaien had even taken to calling him Aniki, while Isshin was calling him 'oi-kun' (nephew) whenever he went over to visit. It was nice having something like a family after so long.

Though he could do without Isshin practically demanding that he make it official and marry his niece immediately.

The two of them got a kick out of beating him to a pulp at every mention of marriage. Though again, Naruto wouldn't mind it all that much, Kukaku was a fun person to be around after all, and they both seemed to enjoy good tobacco and sake.

About two and a half years ago though, the talk of engagement had gone beyond being just a simple joke at their expense and had actually become official. Isshin had actually been surprised that they'd both agreed to it, and relented when they said they would be married only after they'd managed to get to know one another much better than they already had. Basically telling him that they wouldn't be getting married for at least another decade at the least.

Naruto smiled fondly in memory when Isshin had actually started crying in happiness, saying how happy he was that his Niece had found such a kind and powerful man to marry; yet how sad he was that she would someday soon be leaving his house and joining a different Clan entirely.

Then there was something else that had been brought to his attention. The hundreds of missing souls in the Rukongai, including a certain shop-keeper that Naruto had been a patron of for close to one hundred years. These disappearances had started a little over ten years prior, and Naruto had been personally looking into it after a certain part of the investigation had piqued Naruto's suspicion towards a particular shinigami.

Clearing his throat, Naruto left one of the senior members of the Onmitsukidou to watch over the new recruits and get them started on their training as he turned and left the training field. His suspicions concerning the decade long investigation had been proven mostly correct. He'd listened in on several meetings between the co-conspirators, a Fuku-Taichou and his subordinate actually, and had been able to discern just what it was they were doing; and that the leader had been the one who was responsible for the near death of his soon to be sister in law all those years ago.

He didn't have enough actual concrete evidence to bring it to the the Sou-Taichou's attention however, the Fuku-Taichou's record was spotless to begin with, so simply coming forward and stating his opinion on the matter would do nothing more than make the one responsible suspicious, and Naruto himself look like a fool.

With a sigh, Naruto entered his office and gathered up his files. He would need to take some time at home to go over everything again and try to make more sense of all this. What the young man's true goals were remained a mystery, and Naruto absolutely hated mysteries.

They made his head hurt.

Leaving his office with files in hand, he nearly bumped into Sui-Feng, who had been preparing to knock on his door. Smiling at her warmly as he closed the door behind him Naruto gestured with his head for her to walk with him before they both set off down the hall. "Is there something you needed, Sui-Feng?"

Sui-Feng nodded, falling into step with the much larger individual almost twice her height with hurried steps as he quickly made his way down the hall. "I wanted to catch you before you left on another vacation Naruto-sama. Yoruichi-sama was worried and wanted me to pass on a message to you."

Naruto raised an eyebrow and looked over at Sui-Feng out the corner of his eye. "Why would Yoruichi be worried? I'm going on vacation, not a mission."

Sui-Feng shook her head. "She wouldn't say more than that Naruto-sama, just that she was worried and for you to be careful out in the Rukongai. With all of the souls in the Rukongai that have gone missing lately, she must just want to be sure that you're not going to become part of that particular statistic. Though I'm sure she's worried for nothing, you are rumoured to be one of the strongest shinigami in the Goteijusantai after all. I even heard that Yoruichi was thinking of putting your name forward for a Promotion to Taichou."

Naruto laughed boisterously at that and turned to Sui-Feng as they stopped at the Tori-Gates leading into the compound. "Is she now, I would say that I was honoured, but with my upcoming marriage it would be more a hindrance than anything else." Placing a hand atop Sui-Feng's head and giving it a gentle pat, Naruto smiled down at her reassuringly before turning away and making his way down the stone steps. "Don't you worry Sui-Feng, nothing is going to happen to me; I'll be back in a week, so make sure that my new recruits are training hard ne?"

Unknown to either of them, they wouldn't see each other again for over a century.

_**Hokutan, three days later: Naruto's Lake-side Manor**_

Within a darkened room, lit only by the light of a single candle, Naruto sat at his desk pouring over the accumulated files related to his investigation. He'd already done so dozens of times, but he needed to be absolutely sure that there was nothing in these files to help him expose the current object of his most recent ire before he gave up.

This young Fuku-Taichou was much better at covering his tracks then he could have ever believed possible; being able to hide the majority of his activities from even someone like himself who was the best at what he did. After reading the last line on a particular report for the sixth time that night, Naruto closed the file and growled.

'_Nothing, absolutely nothing here is useful._' Naruto thought heatedly. '_None of my men have been able to find anything concrete that would point to Aizen, and even I haven't been able to procure any solid evidence of his actions. Just vague conversations between him and his subordinates, that if used in the right context could implicate him in a variety of crimes or be construed as completely harmless conversations, yet not enough concrete proof. If I try to dig any further though, it could just drive him underground so to speak, and the trail would go cold._'

Returning the files to the storage seal on his left arm, Naruto blew out his candle and prepared to turn in for the night; at least until his entire house, yard and all, went up in a blazing fireball that reached into the sky, visible to everyone within twenty miles.

The inferno raged for several long minutes after that, the explosion dying down to reveal a smouldering crater and the remaining half of the house not caught in the initial blast covered in angry flames.

Naruto shoved a large piece of fallen timber off of himself from where he'd been thrown by the massive force of the explosion, through several walls and into the far end of his sitting room to be precise, of which only a quarter remained. More than half of his home, including the walls surrounding him had been consumed by flames, and even more of the building was simply gone; having been completely obliterated in the initial explosion and leaving nothing but a crater close to a kilometre in diameter, littered with the still burning remains of the home he'd built with his own two hands a hundred years ago.

Jumping from the burning wreckage, Naruto landed at the edge of the lake, getting out of the haze and smoke so that he could breath without slowly suffocating himself breathing in the noxious fumes. Looking about himself for any sign of his attacker, and finding none, Naruto examined himself to make sure he hadn't sustained any serious injuries.

When not even a scratch was found, Naruto flicked a piece of smouldering rubble from his shoulder before his attention was drawn to the area behind him by the sound of multiple bursts of static. There were four dull-thumps in total, and when he turned completely, his gaze was cold and intense, catching only a glimpse of his attackers before what he supposed was the leader swung their sword at him in a wide arc..

He didn't have a chance to do much else however, as a blast of bright yellow energy rushed towards him off the edge of that sword, disintegrating the earth along it's path as it passed and digging a deep trench along the shore of the lake.

Naruto's eyes went wide in shock, moments before his form was swallowed up by the bright yellow wave of energy, and another massive explosion rocked the clearing.

The alert sounding all throughout the Seireitei sounding from the sirens installed in the Juniban-tai Barracks, and the emergency Captains Meeting called almost immediately afterwards had Yoruichi on serious edge as she entered the Assembly Hall. She was the second to arrive excluding the Sou-Taichou himself, noticing Isshin already there as well, and the others arrived only moments later. The Sou-Taichou didn't waste any time once all were present and began informing them of the situation.

"I have just received a report from Urahara-Taichou that is most disturbing. Not five minutes ago, the reiatsu of a powerful hollow was detected in West Rukongai District Three-" Yoruichi's eyes widened, her heart feeling as if it had suddenly gone painfully still within her breast as she took an unconscious step towards the centre of the room. "It has been classified as being beyond Captain Class, and has been reported to be attacking someone within this area. As I know of only one prominent individual who calls this district his home and is currently residing within the area, we can be certain that it is not his reiatsu that drew the hollow to him. For now, I need three Captains to head to this district immediately; Shihouin-Taichou I am assigning you command for the time being as you are the only Taichou present who is aware of the location of the Namikaze Clan Estate."

Yoruichi nodded and pointed her thumb towards the door, Urahara already falling into step behind her as she made her way out, and Isshin following along less than a moment later all too eager to ensure that his soon to be nephew was alright. The three of them vanished from sight the second the doors had opened, meeting up with a waiting Sui-Feng along the way, who followed them out of Seireitei.

If only they knew what they were about to see, maybe then they would have been better prepared.

When they reached the clearing where Naruto's residence was located, they all stopped dead in complete and utter shock when they took in the sight of the once regal home, now a mass of blackened wood and raging flames. More than half of the house simply wasn't there anymore, the ground having been cratered by what must have been massive force. A Cero by the looks of it. Most of the home appearing to have been completely obliterated by the signature technique of the Menos Class hollows.

Beyond the house, what used to be a beautiful lake shore, was scarred by a massive trench in the earth, stretching along the shore of the lake for over one hundred yards before terminating in a burning pile of fallen trees. Blackened earth and smouldering debris strewn about the clearing, along with several more smaller craters, shattered earth and crushed timber telling the story of a fierce battle having taken place here.

The one thing that worried them the most though, was that there was no sign of Naruto anywhere in the clearing.

Yoruichi turned to the three behind her, her visage serious, a far sight different from her usual playful expressions. "Spread out and search the area, he might be in need of medical attention. If not, then we'll need to know exactly what happened here."

The three nodded and did just that, Sui-Feng making her way over to the woods to the far side of the clearing where a corpse of fallen trees had cleared an area of nearly fifty square meters, while Isshin turned to the pile of still burning lumber at the end of the huge trench in the lake-shore. Kisuke made his way towards the largest space in the clearing which was littered with craters and upturned earth, and Yoruichi made her way over to the burning remains of Naruto's home.

The group searched the area for over an hour, finding nothing of any great importance other than a charred piece of fabric from Naruto's hakama and the broken scabbard of his Zanpakutou, before a shout from Sui-Feng drew their attention to the Northern most edge of the clearing.

When they arrived at Sui-Feng's location, Yoruichi immediately went in search of her, calling her name worriedly. Using Sui-Feng's subdued replies as a guide, the trio of Captains finally found Sui-Feng on her knees on the ground, holding something in her arms, her shoulders trembling and her head bowed.

Yoruichi wearily approached the younger woman. "Sui-Feng what's wrong, what have you found?"

Sui-Feng sniffled weakly, turning slightly to reveal the item in her arms to the others, and when they caught sight of it they all froze in shock. There in Sui-Feng's arms, clutched tightly to her chest, was the torn and bloodied remnants of Naruto's prized Haori. The distinguishing item of clothing that he wore at all times, that had become recognized as the Signature dress of the Namikaze Clan Head.

There was very little of it left, the edges charred as if it had been burnt, and the red fabric darkened by a large bloodstain around a gaping hole with burnt edges in what would have been the part of the haori worn over his heart.

Yoruichi immediately dropped to her knees, her eyes wide and tears already streaming down her cheeks. She shook her head and spoke her denial repeatedly; but to the sombre Isshin and Urahara, both of whom wore grim expressions, it was more clear than they wanted to admit.

Namikaze Naruto, was gone.

**AN: Phew, that chapter was long as all hell. Over twenty thousand words and yet I'm already working on the next instalment. Anyway, the next chapter is going to skip ahead to the canon time-line, and we're going to introduce Ichigo and Rukia as well as the other humans and a special character from later on in the Bleach Canon. If anyone can tell me who it was that attacked Naruto at the end of this chapter, you win a cookie, and the right to suggest a female character for the harem from either the Naruto or Bleach Universes. This does not mean they will definitely be added, but if I actually like the character and think they would make a good fit, then I will strongly consider it. That also doesn't mean the rest of you fine people can't make suggestions either, just that the person who guesses at the identity of our mysterious attacker correctly will be able to make a suggestion that I will give some very serious thought to, and the chances of my agreeing with said suggestion will be quite a bit higher than it normally would be.**

**Now, I re-read this chapter a few times and made some minor adjustments to spelling and grammar, but I may have missed some things; I truly value your feedback, be it good or bad, but outright flames will be ignored. If you don't like the story, that's too bad, but I'm not forcing you to read. It is physically impossible for me to tie you down to your chair and glue your eyes to your computer screens when I don't even know where you live, or possess the means to acquire that particular information to begin with.**

**Leave a like/favourite or whatever and review to tell me what you think and how you like the story thus far; until next time people, CrimsonxAEGIS signing off.**


	2. Episode Two: Karakura's Mob Boss?

**Hello all once again! This is the _CrimsonxAEGIS_ with the next instalment of _The Noble Hermit_. In this Chapter, we get into the Canon Events with an AU twist; several things that were only glossed over briefly in Chapter One will be gone over in detail here, though Naruto's relationship and subsequent betrothal to Shiba Kukaku might have to wait. The reason behind the attack on Naruto at the end of the first Chapter, as well as the identities of the culprits behind said attack, will all be explained and revealed for those of you who had questions. With that said, this will unfortunately contain a large Flashback. I know you hate them, but it is necessary since I was trying to keep the last chapter at a reasonable length. -Fail**

**I also need to make an amendment to a statement made in the Chapter One opening AN about Bashing particular characters. I have to admit, I've never been much one for bashing at all, so don't expect it to get too terribly... bashy... I will however more often then not, express my dislike for said characters through subtle insinuation and sometimes blatantly humiliating them for my personal amusement.**

**Now I received a couple of comments that clearly stated that they thought the previous chapter was a little too fast paced for a 20k word document. I would usually agree with them; however, as it was stated in the AN for Chapter one, '_Episode One: Shifts in Life_' was mainly a chapter lightly detailing Naruto's connection to the Bleach Universe and the characters therein. It was meant to just sort of gloss over the particular aspects of his life and his new-found relationships, as well as the key events that he was involved in before the start of the canon time-line and the changes his involvement caused to the original story. This Chapter should be a little bit slower in pace, more descriptive and have a much better flow. This is where the real story starts people so watch out lest you be 'blown away'. (-Spoiler Alert) I also had somebody tell me to shorten the Chapters, and my answer to that is this: I am sorry if the length of the chapters intimidates you, but this is how I write. I am not a writer of short stories, I am a novelist. Long Chapters come with the territory. Besides, once I start writing and get into my groove, it's hard for me to stop :P.**

**Neow, for those of you who guessed that it was Harribel that attacked Naruto at the end of the Chapter, you would be correct; though there were three others present, so only a couple of you so far have received full marks for actually mentioning them. The reason behind the attack or the deciding factor, as well as the reason it was Harribel that was sent, will be explained later in this chapter as we revisit the epic battle that tore up the pretty scenery that Naruto was so fond of. We will also see the end-result of that battle and what happened immediately afterwards, this being the event that lead to Naruto leaving Soul Society.**

**Next item of business; Ze 'AREM! or 'the Harem' for those of you who don't speak gibberish. I have received several suggestions and have taken them all into consideration. I am still accepting suggestions, and am currently leaning towards three women from the Naruto-Verse in particular, as well as another Two women from the Bleach Universe. I think that might very well be the maximum body-count for this particular harem, but as I said before and cannot stress enough, I will take all suggestions into strong consideration. At some point or another I may put up a poll on my profile to decide once and for all. If there are some good enough reasons for a particular girl/girls, then I might just add them right away. Others however, will need to be decided at that time.**

**Next: This particular Item is not too terribly important, I just thought it would be cool. If there are any Artists out there who wanna try their hands at sketching up a coloured image of this particular version of Naruto with the sleeveless sage cloak in all his new-found bad-assery, maybe with a few of his lady friends, send them to me and the one I like the best will become the cover-art for this story. Again not particularly important, but since I wanted a unique bit of cover art-**

**yet realized I'm an absolutely atrocious artiste- I thought it would be a good idea to at least put that out there. Again this is not terribly important, if at all, since I can probably work _something_ out. But if somebody does draw me up something good, go ahead and send it to me so I can take a look. I like receiving those kinds of things, it let's me know I'm doing something right.**

**Last but not least; I must say that I am incredibly shocked and grateful for the MASSIVE response to chapter One. Within the first few hours of posting the previous chapter I was already sitting at over 60 Faves and 50 Follows, not counting the amount for just my profile alone. Not only that, but I received over twenty reviews and two dozen PM's in a little over three hours, and all of them had nothing but good things to say about Episode One. Thank you all very much for all the positive feedback and constructive criticism; I have never, in all my years writing for Fiction Press and Fan Fiction . net, seen such an explosive response to any single chapter I've ever written, be they Original Fiction or Fan Fiction on this very site. I'm not even going to mention how much those numbers practically skyrocketed over the last 48 hours.**

**Your support is greatly appreciated, and I promise to do my best as I move forward with '_The Noble Hermit'_, so as to keep you all interested and entertained. Way to put the pressure on guys... -_-**

**Now once again I do not own either the Bleach or Naruto Franchises, be it the Anime or Manga adaptions. I am simply using them for my own amusement and the entertainment of others without permission or expectations of profit. Would be nice though.**

**In addition: I noticed that my page breaks weren't working with the last upload, I will be going through chapter one and fixing this later so that it isn't all meshed together, however, for the time being I will resort to indicating the breaks with bold text in brackets so that they're easy to spot.**

**Now once again, On with the Show I say!**

**Episode Two: Hermit in Karakura; The Karakura Mob Boss? Seriously?**

Karakura Town, located in Western Tokyo on the island nation of Japan. It is under the jurisdiction of the Jusanban-tai of the Goteijusantai and has the largest concentration of spiritually aware beings in the entire world. These are just two of the reasons why a certain Hermit had decided to hide himself away here in the Spiritually rich environment after that strange yet fortuitous opportunity was presented to him all those years ago.

While he was quite adept at hiding his own reiatsu through a combination of powerful seals and his own skill, the spiritually rich landscape of Karakura provided him far more security. Karakura Town was incredibly difficult to survey for anomalies since the entire town seemed to be bathed in reiatsu; or to be more specific, the reiatsu of the most powerful spiritually aware human Naruto had ever heard of in all his two hundred plus years.

When he'd first arrived close to one hundred and twenty years ago, it had seemed like a decent place for him to lay low. He'd changed his name, deciding to use his mother's maiden name, and bought a large plot of land near the centre of the city, using the denser population in that location to hide himself and his newest companions in this crazy ride he called life. Or the after life, whichever way you wanted to call it, since Naruto had discovered that life as a soul in Soul Society actually had very few differences in comparison to the life of a normal human living in the Human World.

Both had hearts that beat in their chests, both felt joy and sadness, heartbreak and pain; and both could fall in love. He'd even learned that when two souls copulated, pregnancy was still a very real occurrence.

How else did noble families in the Seireitei produce heirs? A magical stork? Would you be surprised to hear that he had actually been convinced that a magical stork really was responsible for delivering the natural born heirs of noble families? Of course not, that would be silly; and completely true.

Back on track, after spending the equivalent of millions of U.S dollars on the construction of a new house on his purchased plot of land, a house which was designed very much like the one he'd built himself in Hokutan, Naruto had immediately set to work upon it's completion. Lining the outer walls and supports with a similar array of seals as he had in his old compound, and adding a few other seals so that his house wouldn't show up as a suspicious dark spot devoid of reiatsu on any of the Juniban-tai's scanning devices. Effectively using the ambient energy as something like a blanket.

For over one hundred years it had worked, and since he had very little to do and four very willing volunteers, Naruto had set about a strange new project that wouldn't normally fit into his repertoire; studying the Hollow Condition.

Ever since he'd first learned seals, puzzles had become a rather simple past-time for him; and as far as he was concerned, a hollow was simply one large puzzle with a piece missing. It was finding out what that missing piece represented and attempting to replicate it that was proving difficult. He spent close to sixty years on this research, often sitting on his deck with his pipe and sake, simply thinking about what he could be missing. He developed what must have been hundreds of different seals, all performing some set purpose geared towards restoring a hollow's missing heart.

Of course, he quickly learned that it wasn't so simple. A plus became a hollow because of spiritual decay, or in more simple terms, because they had remained in the world of the living for far too long or they were devoured by another hollow. It could take years for a plus to turn into a hollow if left alone, especially in the case of those souls known as demi-hollows. Souls that had remained in the place they had died due to some form of strong emotional attachment, causing their broken chains of fate to literally bind them to this location until their eventual transformation into a hollow.

He had observed these phenomena with great scrutiny, making sure to konso them well before their transformation, before moving on to the next subject for observation. He'd kept this up for over six decades and after sixty plus years of doing nothing but research upon more research, which Naruto had decided he hated with a fiery passion, he'd finally been struck by an epiphany.

The transformation itself wasn't going to lead him to an answer; but the Hollow's memories very well might.

His newest companion was all too willing to offer him that information, though Naruto was sure the woman was in a considerable amount of emotional pain while doing so. She was strong and hid her emotions well, but whoever said hollows felt no human emotions deserved a punch in the face.

With an Odama Rasengan. Or maybe a Rasenshuriken; decisions, decisions.

Unfortunately he still hadn't made any progress towards reversing the process of Hollowfication. It made sense to him though; he was admittedly not the smartest person in the world, so someone was bound to have tried before. Perhaps it would be best if he just continued to develop new seals in his attempt. When in doubt, stick with something you're good at; Seals could after all, literally do anything the user could think of.

A Seal that would reverse the process of Hollowfication didn't sound too absurd when you thought of it that way.

When he wasn't making new seals and training with his new allies, he was doing something he never thought he ever would; something that would make his late god-father proud.

He sat about his house, using the inspiration he received from the very curvaceous and beautiful women now living with him to continue his God-Father's legacy. With their permission of course, and while they knew full well what it was he was using them as reference material for; he never asked them to take off their clothes, never peeked on them in the bath, and never made inappropriate passes at them for more research material. When they had asked if he needed them to do anything for him to help him with his creative processes, Naruto had replied thus-

He had told them that them simply being there with him and letting him look at them as a reference was enough, and that he could use his imagination for the rest. Of course, he went out and bought a few ero-manga's to make sure he was getting everything right. It had been almost two hundred years since he'd seen a woman naked after-all, so his memory could be a little foggy.

With this, the most popular/hated book series in the Elemental Nations was released to consumers living in and around Karakura Japan. The Icha Icha series had been reborn, and it was back with a vengeance; for not even a month later his name was practically carved into the windows of every adult bookstore in the country. A month after that, every adult bookstore in the world was selling his works. It had spread like wildfire, and publishers the world over were clamouring for them like rabid dogs on raw hamburger. Practically begging him for the opportunity to publish the next release of the series.

It was then that Naruto realized something almost depressing; that no matter how much anyone would try to deny it, there was one Worldly Truth that applied to men of every dimension.

Deep down, they were all insatiable perverts.

They would try to hide it, and some would do very well at that particular endeavour, while others just let it all hang out in the open so to speak. Others more literally than most. Which even Naruto thought was gross. It was however a damn good way to make money; Naruto wouldn't have to worry about currency for hundreds of years at this rate. Which was just fine for him.

Looking back on those days, Naruto chuckled, wisps of smoke escaping through his nose and parted lips. In over one hundred years, he hadn't aged a day, and had only continued to grow stronger the longer he stayed in Karakura. He'd trimmed his hair so it was a little neater than it had been before, keeping it at about waist length, while he made double sure to maintain his physique and keep his skills sharp while doing so.

He needed to be ready for when Aizen decided to make his move. It wouldn't do for him to let all this time go to waste after all. So he trained; either alone or with his newest allies. Unlikely allies at that, since all four of them were hollows that once served the man he'd come to recognize as his newest true enemy. Aizen had taken quite the gamble, but the attack on his person one hundred years ago had not only proven that Aizen knew about Naruto's investigation into his actions, but that Naruto had been getting far too close for comfort.

Aizen had made a big mistake when he'd sent the Arrancar to kill him; because all that had done was present Naruto with an opportunity to get the upper hand, and gain a new ally. He had made a rash decision, and probably hurt quite a few people because of it, but it was the right decision. If he was going to get the upper hand on Aizen, then he'd needed to do what he had to do.

He needed to die.

Or at least, he needed to make it appear as if he was dead, and he'd need to make it look convincing enough that even Aizen would be fooled; and for that to happen he would need to fool the entirety of Soul Society.

He had only come upon this revelation when certain things had been brought to his attention, certain things he heard from a certain Arrancar on that one night all those years ago.

_How_ he hadn't realized it before then he would never know.

_**(UBER LONG FLASHBACK OF DOOM: One hundred and ten years ago.)**_

The wave of bright yellow energy slammed into him with the force of an angry giant, battering into his body and dragging him through the earth for dozens of yards before slamming him into the trees at the edge of the clearing. The explosion that followed was deafening, and had his ears ringing, and head pounding like a drum. Then again that may because he'd smoked his head on a rather stubborn rock on his trip. These sensations only lasted for about a moment as a new sensation began to dominate his senses.

It was hot, unbearably so.

He was also buried in what felt like several tons of felled and burning trees. So with a mighty push, the blasted wood was thrown away from him, flying through the air in splintered shards and raining down upon the earth below in a hail of fiery timber. Standing from the pile of debris and burning wood, Naruto appeared relatively unharmed, apart from the bleeding gash over his brow. The blood from his wound streaming down his face in thick rivulets, dripping from his chin and staining the blasted rock beneath his feet as he walked out of the flames.

His assailants were instantly on guard as he emerged from the smoke, his strides measured and confident even though his Haori had been nearly obliterated and his fishnet shirt was left in tatters. The only articles of clothing to come out of that encounter relatively whole were his sandals and hakama; though one of his sandals was missing oddly enough.

In short, he looked like a bum.

Stopping several meters away from the four women in the strange white garb, Naruto spit a glob of blood to the side, running his tongue around his teeth to make sure none had been knocked loose or broken.

With his inspection done, Naruto reached behind him and drew his wakizashi, the broken halves of his scabbard falling to the dirt behind him as he did so. Seemingly only having been holding on by a thread that he'd snapped with the movement of drawing his blade. Raising his free hand to his neck, Naruto gripped his nape tightly and tilted his head to the left, eliciting a sharp sounding crack and eliminating a rather annoying kink in his spine. He then used his pinky to clean out his left ear, wiggling it about in an attempt to alleviate the high pitched ringing.

A muffled voice from the group in front of him forced his attention back onto them, and one of the women in particular. She was the shorter of the group, standing at one hundred and fifty centimetres there-about, with long olive green hair, long eye-lashes and lavender eyes. There were three pink tear-drops under her right eye, and three bone-like hair-clips on the right side of her bangs.

She was wearing a long white dress, which seemed to be the colour of the day, with long sleeves extending well past her hands, and two crisscrossing belts about her waist. She was saying something, but since his head was still ringing he couldn't make out a word.

It was like trying to listen to someone talking to you when you were standing next to a water fall; and it was annoying.

There were three others as well, another girl standing only a few inches taller than the first, with short black hair in a bob-cut style, and hetero-chromia, her right eye being blue while her left was amber with thick red eyeliner around the eye itself. She was wearing a white kimono and hakama; the kimono having shoulder length sleeves and black cuffs, a v-neck cut top with a higher collar, and black bands around her wrists. There was some sort of bone fragment decorating her hair, set in the middle of her bangs and reaching back over the back of her head with a single horn pointing forward.

Strange head wear to be sure; but to each their own.

The others were quite a bit taller than they were, the first being a dark-skinned woman with long, thick wavy brown hair and an impressive bust standing at 177 centimetres. She had what appeared to be a three section crown on her head, and a thick necklace, both made of the same bone-like material, and was wearing all white as well. A corset-like top, and short white pleated skirt, with two white sleeves on her arms.

The last however was the one that had Naruto's immediate attention; she was easily the most powerful of the group, her presence in the area making the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. She too was a dark skinned woman wearing white and just as tall as the other woman, but he couldn't see any bone fragments. A white top that left her abdomen and the lower half of her large breasts bare yet covered up to the lower half of her face with long sleeves terminating in black glove-like extension reminiscent of a cat's paws. The top itself had a zipper in the centre that seemed at first glance to open upwards, instead of the more traditional zippers in the human world. Her legs were adorned with an altered white hakama that bared a good portion of her thighs, held up by a black sash around her hips, with a pair of simple straw sandals on her feet. She had short, messy blonde hair with three braided locks, blonde eyebrows, and thick blonde eyelashes over eyes coloured a vibrant aquamarine.

She was the only one who had drawn her weapon, it being a short sword with a curved guard and pommel, the blade itself was short, and broad, but was missing a large piece of the blade itself, making the sword actually hollow. A strange weapon indeed, but apparently effective at launching waves of energy at unsuspecting individuals who had been about to go to bed.

How rude.

All in all she was incredibly beautiful, though this was marred by the fact she'd just attacked him. Then there was the fact he'd nearly overlooked before; the other dark-skinned woman had a hole going through her body visible just beneath the cleft of her breasts. Telling him one thing without a shadow of a doubt.

Hollows.

**(Break: Perspective Change)**

Tier Harribel calmly looked over the burning wreckage of what was once a beautiful home-stead, regretful of the fact that she had been ordered to destroy it and the person living there. Such beautiful scenery should be preserved at all costs, and to destroy it was simply a crime against nature. Orders were orders though.

When she had been given the order she had been confused, hadn't Aizen wanted to keep the majority of his plans under wraps? Why then order one of his most powerful Espada to reveal themselves in Soul Society of all places, all for the sake of eliminating one shinigami? The explanation she had been given was that he was getting far too close to discovering his true plans than was acceptable. He needed to be terminated before he could jeopardize everything Aizen had worked so hard to create to this point. That in itself was understandable, but she could also sense fear in Aizen. He was afraid of this shinigami.

When the man leaped from the burning wreckage and Harribel got a look at him, her eyebrows shot into her hairline in surprise. He was a handsome individual for sure, but that wasn't what surprised her.

She couldn't sense him. She could see him in front of her eyes but she felt nothing of his reiatsu; she hadn't even known he was inside the house, thinking that she could draw him out by destroying the building. Yet apparently, while her first attack had actually managed to both destroy the home, and catch her target in the blast, he was completely unharmed. Looking more annoyed at the loss of his house than anything else.

She watched him check himself over while thoughts ran through her head a mile a minute. It was inconceivable, not only was she unable to properly judge his strength, but it would appear that he was actually strong enough to survive an explosion of that magnitude with ease. '_Impossible. That blast would have been strong enough to harm even one of the higher ranked Espada!' _Stealing herself, she motioned for those with her to follow her before going off in Sonido. She came to a landing behind the man, already drawing back her Zanpakutou and filling it with her dense yellow reiryoku as he turned his head towards her, having heard her arrival and that of her fraccion behind her. '_I have to be quick and catch him off guard, I'll put everything I have into this and make sure he stays down. I loathe fighting so dishonourably, but I don't have much choice. Just who did you send me to eliminate, Aizen?_'

He locked eyes with her for only a moment before she swung her sword in a broad sweep and unleashed her signature technique, a technique known as Ola Azul. Normally the actual attack would look more like a blade of pure energy, this time however, she had pumped so much of her reiryoku into the technique it resembled a large, yellow wave of light.

The attack had indeed surprised the man, Tier noted, as she'd barely been able to see the slight widening of his crystal clear blue eyes before his form had been enveloped by the yellow wave. The attack stretched out to the other side of the clearing, before slamming into a corpse of trees and exploding in a towering ball of flame; dust and flaming debris flying into the sky at impossible speeds, as dozens of large trees simply fell over themselves in an attempt to bury the man responsible for slamming into them.

For several moments as the dust slowly cleared and the flames receded, Tier actually thought that had done it. Her fraccion apparently being of the same mind, as Apacci laughed about seeing the look on the man's face before he'd been obliterated in the blast. "Did you see his face?" Apacci howled, pausing for a moment as if struck by a thought. "It's gone now, but did you see his face?" Before devolving into new bouts of almost hysterical laughter, holding onto her stomach as she nearly doubled over.

She herself had been about to sheathe her sword before a new explosion made her look back into the burning pile of felled trees and timber, instantly silencing her fraccion; this one was not the result of a technique, but the result of massive force being applied to an object, sending shards of shattered wood into the air, each one trailing fire and smoke as they fell around them.

Wearily, Tier kept her eyes trained on the cloud of dust and smoke that was currently obscuring her vision. Moments later, she saw the form of the man she'd just watched get blown away by her over-powered Ola Azul calmly walking through the veil. His once pristine red haori now little more than a tattered shawl about his shoulders, and his fishnet shirt completely shredded, only a few strands of the fibre remaining on his torso in a tangled mess. His hakama was largely untouched, and he was missing a sandal; yet still he seemed relatively unharmed save for the gash on his forehead.

"What the hell are you made of?" Apacci muttered in disbelief.

Sung Sun frowned. "He does appear no worse for wear." The group sweat-dropped however, when instead of regarding them as any kind of threat, the man spat a glob of blood to the side, gripped his neck and tilted his head to the side as he drew his sword, eliciting a loud crack that even they could hear from where they were standing before he started trying to clean out his ear with his pinky. Scrunching up his face at the feeling while visibly running his tongue over his teeth. "My my, you're awfully carefree aren't you shinigami-san?"

The man looked up at them then, studying them before he smacked the side of his head repeatedly. Blinking confusedly at the man's behaviour, the three Fraccion simply continued staring at him as he tilted his head to the side and bashed on his own head.

Apacci snarled, "oi, take this seriously you dimwitted bastard!"

Mila Rose who had been silent up to now crossed her arms over her bust and sighed. "I had thought he was going to be more impressive than this. I mean, if Aizen-sama sent us here to take him down because he was a threat to the plan, wouldn't he have to be intelligent? This man is clearly an idiot."

Finally the man stood to his full height and regarded them with a frown, before taking a deep breath and then shaking his head.

Sung-Sun lifted her hand, hiding her mouth behind her sleeve. "Are you ready to take us seriously now Shinigami-san?"

"WHAT?" The man yelled loudly, startling the three of them. His voice had been so loud they were sure the people in the town across the forest had heard him. Getting over her shock Sung-sun tried again, a little louder this time.

"I sai-"

"YOU HAVE TO SPEAK UP! I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" The man articulated this point by gesturing to his ears and lifting a palm towards the sky to indicate raising the volume at which they spoke.

All four of them face-faulted.

Now it was the man's turn to look at them oddly while simply standing there in his ruined clothing; now they realized why he had been acting so strangely, he must have hit his head when Harribel attacked him, and now his skull must be absolutely singing.

Sung-Sun sighed before turning to their mistress Harribel. "May we start now Harribel-sama? Talking will obviously get us nowhere."

Harribel shook her head exasperatedly, before looking at the man and nodding. "Be careful."

"Alright! You're going down you empty headed twit!" Apacci crowed with a large sadistic smile.

Naruto shook his head, and his frown deepened. "YOU REALLY NEED TO SPEAK UP! I CAN"T HEAR A WORD YOU JUST SAID!"

"Oh for the—FORGET IT!" Apacci screamed in frustration as the three fraccion blasted forward.

"FORGET WH- holy shit!" Naruto dashed out of the way as Apacci came flying down at him, her leg extended in a signature axe-kick. Her heel hit the ground where he'd been standing and completely obliterated the earth at and around the point of impact; lifting a cloud of dust and earthen debris into the air around her and momentarily obscuring her from view, before she came blasting out of the dust-cloud and jumped into a kick aimed at his face. Naruto leaned his head to the left and took a firm hold of her ankle, before spinning once on his heel and releasing his hold, sending her flying through the air in an uncontrolled spin.

Mila Rose was the next to strike, but unlike Apacci, she had drawn her broadsword and aimed to take off his head. Bringing up his sword, Naruto deflected the blow above his head before clenching his free hand into a fist and driving it into her stomach. The blow was strong enough to lift the woman's feet off the ground, spittle and blood bursting from her mouth as she was sent flying away from the now more coherent Naruto.

Sung-Sun and Apacci had stopped, looking back as Mila-Rose flew passed them and crashed into the lake with a splash, skipping along the water before ultimately flying into the treeline with a mighty crash, acting the part of a pinball for a moment as she broke through the trunks of several trees; their trunks having been completely shattered by the impact, these sturdy wooden giants all toppled down atop the felled arrancar, adding more sound to the already noisy symphony of clashing steel and raging inferno's.

Looking back at the man, they bore witness to a hard glare with an intensity unlike any they'd ever seen. "I think you all need to cool off."

Harribel frowned. She knew this man was strong, but to actually wound an arrancar, even one of the weaker ones, with nothing but his bare fist was a feat only some of the more powerful arrancars and shinigami could ever boast.

An arrancar's Hierro was usually strong enough to deflect even a Zanpakutou, yet he'd punched Mila Rose and actually hurt her. Deflecting some admittedly powerful blows with masterful ease and actually managing to counterattack while being attacked by several opponents.

She prepared to attack herself as Naruto moved, slowly at first, drawing his sword back in a reverse grip and holding it behind him as he entered a pseudo-runners pose.

"Allow me to help you all blow off some steam." Naruto grumbled, before it turned into a growl. "While I pay you back for destroying my house-" Suddenly, he vanished, disappearing with insane speed that none present could follow. When he reappeared, his leg was drawn back and his body spun into a powerful round-house, powered by his considerable strength and the speed of his shunpo, that caught Apacci in the abdomen, "with interest!" The blow slammed into her with the force of a speeding train, folding her around his leg and sending her flying back into Sung-Sun, the both of them crumpling to the ground in a twisted heap of tangled limbs, groaning, and unladylike cursing.

With them taken care of Naruto turned his attention to where Harribel was dashing towards him, sword drawn back but without the yellow energy from before filling the hollow of the blade this time. It was a normal swing and he had to quickly bring his sword up to the side to block the powerful slash that was aiming to bisect him at the waist; with a thunderous crash their swords met, turning the earth beneath his feet to mulch from the force and sending the dislodged dirt and stone flying out behind him in a massive wave. The shock wave generated by the impact being strong enough to knock the newly risen Sung-Sun off her feet and tumbling across the clearing like a rag-doll, and actually put out part of the fire consuming his former place of residence.

Harribel had seen enough, this man was far too powerful for her fraccion to even dream of fighting as they were. She needed to end this quickly, since more shinigami were undoubtedly on their way. To that end, she'd decided to attack, but had hit something of a snag.

Locking blades, she suddenly realized that he was much stronger than her, while her sword arm was shaking with the strain, his own wasn't even twitching. Both of their expressions were calm and composed, but his eyes held a fire in them that made Harribel nervous. While he was truly calm, Harribel's was only a facade at this point; realizing with a sudden clarity that she was simply no match for this man. '_What kind of enemy have you made Aizen-sama?It's almost like-'_

Her thoughts were cut short as Naruto lifted his free hand, his fingers forming some sort of hand-seal, before a single world turned her world on its' head. "Kai."

All of the sudden, a great pressure fell about the area, making Harribel's heart stop. Her normally stoic expression changing to one of complete shock as the massive force pressed down on her shoulders and made it difficult to breathe.

_'Almost like fighting the Primera.' _

With force far greater than it appeared, Naruto twisted his sword against hers until he had it positioned diagonally, and then swung outwards; the action sending Harribel tumbling back along the ground in an uncontrolled roll. Realizing she had to get herself back on her feet and quickly, she planted her feet against the ground and drove her sword into the earth beneath her; when Harribel managed to halt her backwards movement and steady herself, she was afraid she had taken a second too long, and would look up and find her opponent right on top of her and rearing back for a finishing blow.

Looking up, she was surprised to see that he hadn't moved and took the opportunity presented by this development to school her expression and stand up straight, staring straight into his eyes fearlessly.

They stood there for what felt like hours but was really just a few minutes, several meters apart, observing the others' stance and searching for openings; or in Naruto's case, simply waiting for her to make a move while thinking about what questions he wanted answered first. After several long minutes, Harribel shot forward, her sword once again drawn back behind her in preparation to swing. Naruto quickly raised his own blade across his body to knock the swing back, before stepping into her guard and hitting her in the stomach with a powerful palm strike.

Her eyes widened upon feeling the strength behind the blow, it had left behind a large welt that was already darkening and turning into an ugly bruise while also knocking the air from her lungs. She had then been sent rocketing backwards, sliding back along the ground and tearing two small trenches into the earth with her heels as she tried to slow her momentum; but Naruto followed her, keeping close and raising his sword to once again deflect her attempt at a rebuke, the force of which keeping her momentum constant and making her arm go numb. She continued to slide backwards for some time before finally coming to a stop against part of the wall that had once surrounded his compound.

Looking back momentarily to see just what had stopped her, she took only a moment to recognize the wall before returning her gaze to the man currently flying straight towards her in a mad dash. Suddenly he jumped into the air, coming down towards her in an arc with his fist drawn back. Quickly using sonido to get out of the way, Harribel was glad she did, as when he came down to earth and slammed his fist into the wall where her head would have been, the solid stone wall completely exploded. Parts of the wall flying about in every direction before a sudden shift in the wind sent the shards of rock flying straight at Harribel.

Eyes going wide in surprise at the very wind launching hundreds of small but still dangerous projectiles her way, Harribel launched a quick Ola Azul into the cloud of projectiles and towards Naruto who was still behind them. When her Ola Azul was cut in half by what appeared to be an invisible blade, Naruto appeared in the space created by the phenomena, already in the middle of a quick dash towards her.

Speaking of dashing, '_how the hell is he keeping up with me? He hasn't once used shunpo yet I've been utilizing sonido almost repeatedly!_' Her moment for thought however ended when his fist was planted into her stomach. Her eyes went almost impossibly wide, she had been staring right at him! '_When did he... so now he uses shunpo!_'

Looking at the Naruto that she had been watching initially, she noticed that form flicker and vanish into the wind like an illusion, as the Naruto who currently had his fist planted in her gut pulled her through the air, using her like a battering ram against the trees in the forest, before extending his arm in an improvised throw and launching her back down to earth in the middle of the clearing. The earth cratered, cracks forming around the newest indentation littering the clearing as her body made impact with the earth with startling force.

For a moment all was quiet, the ringing of blade striking blade no longer filling the air along with the sounds of explosions and sonido. As Harribel tried to force herself to her feet, her body aching from the beating she'd just taken, Naruto appeared out of a shunpo not far from her, his sword held lazily at his side as he regarded her with hard eyes. "Are you done?" Naruto asked calmly.

Harribel had finally managed to regain her feet and was now standing on shaking legs. He was infinitely stronger than she was, that much was obvious. Their earlier exchange having proven to her that he was very likely on the level of Coyote Starrk. With a nod from Harribel in affirmation, Naruto shook his head and they both simply waited.

Finally, after several long moments of silence Naruto spoke.

"Aizen sent you didn't he, Espada?"

Harribel frowned, trying her best not to appear perturbed at the fact he even knew of the Espada; the top tier of Aizen's army. Then again Aizen himself had said that this man knew too much; and seeing as to how she had been unwittingly sent to die, she saw no reason not to answer him if giving him this information would spare the lives of at least her fraccion. Something she would make sure to ask of him before he likely killed her.

She nodded after a moment and her frown receded. "He did; you know too much shinigami-san, and Aizen-sama felt the need to correct that."

Naruto smirked, obviously seeing some humour in the notion that he'd apparently had Aizen on the ropes so to speak. Then again, how Aizen had realized that Naruto had been watching him was what really had Naruto stumped, he'd been certain that his seals were working flawlessly.

Then again, Yamamoto had been able to sense his reiryoku as well. Looks like he would need to tweak his seals a bit. Taking a glance at his obliterated home, Naruto added another point on his fuinjutsu to-do list. '_Gotta perfect the seals on the house too, an attack of that strength shouldn't have so much as scratched the wall_. _Gonna have to get my hands on some seki-seki stone to use as a reference._'

Now if Aizen knew about him spying on him, then that meant Naruto had lost one of his advantages, the element of surprise as it were; there was unfortunately no way—save one—of regaining that advantage in this secret war of theirs, and Aizen's awareness would make it impossible for him to gather any new information on his movements, so there was unfortunately nothing he could do about that.

Aizen apparently wanted him dead, so why not give him what he wanted. Allow him a false sense of security and hide away somewhere out of the way. Some place Aizen would never think to look. It was going to be difficult to fool Aizen, since Naruto was well aware of how intelligent the man was; but if his imperfect seals could hide his reiatsu from specialized detectors and sensors, then hiding wouldn't be too much of an issue once they had been perfected.

Naruto's frown deepened. He didn't like where his own thoughts were going, but the idea had merit. While he still had one advantage, being that Aizen had no idea how strong he truly was, that would change the second this woman returned and reported her failure. Though killing her wasn't an option either, it just didn't seem right to Naruto.

He could also simply take this Arrancar to the Seireitei and have her testify against Aizen, but Yamamoto was a little too strict for that to work. The second he sensed a hollow within Seireitei as powerful as the woman in front of him, he'd destroy her himself without waiting to hear an explanation.

Stubborn old coot.

Looks like Plan A will have to suffice.

Now he just needed to get himself out of this situation. "Well then, we appear to be in a little situation here. You can't beat me, but if I were to kill you and return to Seireitei, there's nothing to stop Aizen from sending a more powerful Arrancar next time to finish the job. I'm also not too keen on him figuring out how powerful I am; there's a reason I hide my reiatsu most of the time after all. So Hollow- wait a minute." Naruto sighed, lowering his sword to his side and brushing his bangs out of his face. "It would be awful rude of me to keep calling you Hollow. Does my opponent have a name?"

Harribel raised an eyebrow, also lowering her sword for the moment as Naruto's reiatsu began to weaken until it was barely there, allowing for a more comfortable atmosphere; even if they were surrounded by flames, uprooted trees and the other results of their admittedly short bout. The fact he would even deign to ask her name, when no shinigami had ever asked for the name of a hollow before had actually surprised her; most shinigami simply found it easier to purify them as soon as possible rather than try to make conversation with them apart from issuing threats. Such pleasantries between a hollow and a shinigami were practically unheard of, though she did find herself answering.

Tier reached up to her jacket, taking hold of the zipper and opening the article of clothing. When the Gothic number three was revealed, so too was her mask, the shark-like face mask covering her nose and mouth, lined with a row of jagged teeth; the plate extended down, covering her neck and collarbone, while two plates came down over her breasts to cover her nipples. The Gothic styled '3' was tattooed in black on her right breast.

"Tres Espada, Tier Harribel." She spoke ominously, yet at this point she knew it wasn't going to so much as startle him let alone frighten him as it would normally. Closing her jacket once more to hide her mask fragments, Harribel gazed calmly at the man before her and waited.

Naruto chuckled quietly, moving to sheathe his sword and only succeeding in slicing off a piece of his hakama. He then remembered that his sheath had been broken in that second attack, and smiled sheepishly. "Forgot you broke my scabbard, Harribel-san." So, he tossed his sword into the dirt at his feet, the blade easily sinking into the earth about half way, before he introduced himself. "My name is Namikaze Naruto, first generational head of the Namikaze Noble Family, third seat of the Niban-tai and Commander of the Onmitsukidou. A pleasure to meet you I guess, Harribel-san."

With the introduction out of the way, Naruto was reminded of a particular conversation he had overheard one day where this particular hollow's name had been mentioned, Naruto then realized just how fortuitous his day had just gotten.

Aizen had not only supplied him with a way to gain the upper-hand in this little struggle of theirs, but he'd also unwittingly provided him with a way to weaken his own standing forces without having to bloody his hands.

"Harribel-san, why do you fight for Aizen? What has he done to make you and your underlings so loyal to him?"

Harribel frowned, having her reasons for fighting questioned was one thing, but her loyalty to Aizen was paramount. She owed him a life debt after all, and she took such things very seriously.

"He saved the lives of myself and my Fraccion from an arrancar that had disobeyed his orders and attacked us. I owe him my life Namikaze-san, and I do not forget my debts."

Naruto nodded, having heard that part of Aizen's plan, before he sighed. This could either go really well, or really badly. "What would you do, if I told you that you had been deceived Harribel-san? That Aizen hadn't actually saved you out of any form of goodwill, but only because you were strong enough to warrant his attention? That he hadn't actually saved you at all?"

Harribel's gaze was suddenly murderous. Her reiatsu becoming wild and angry as she stalked forward, Naruto not moving as she did. "Do not speak ill of Aizen-sama."

Naruto cringed a bit at the potency of her reiatsu and cleared his throat nervously. Women themselves were scary enough, but piss one off and it was game-over no matter how strong you were. "I have proof that Aizen was merely leading you along. He took advantage of your Honourable nature to force your loyalty, and is merely using you. To him you are nothing but a tool; a tool to be used and then discarded when he finds you no longer useful."

Harribel stopped then, leering at him with sharp eyes as a feeling of doubt started welling up in her breast. "What proof shinigami?"

Naruto let out a breath of relief. That could have gone south quickly, and he really needed to get moving before his plan failed before he could even leave. Reaching across his chest, noticing that his haori had fallen from his shoulders at some point in their little bout, or the remains of it anyway, Naruto pressed his fingers against the seal on his left bicep and in a small flash of light, he had the files containing all the data gathered during his investigation on Aizen in his hand. "Within these files, is everything I've gathered on Aizen, within them is the proof you want. I will give it to you for a small price."

The suspicion in Harribel's eyes then was obvious. Who knew what kind of thoughts such a statement would evoke. "What kind of price?"

Naruto shrugged. "Place your loyalty somewhere it won't be betrayed, use your power to fight for something actually worth while; for such an honourable soul as yourself, fighting for a slime-ball like Aizen is hardly fitting. You don't need to like me, hell hate me for all I care, but I'm asking you to trust me just this once; not as a shinigami, but as Namikaze Naruto. If you don't find enough of a reason to say to hell with Aizen within these files, you can simply walk away. I won't stop you, even though it'll throw a major wrench into my plans. My _price_ Harribel-san, is for you to leave Aizen's army and do whatever it is you want to do with this afterlife of yours." Searching through the files, he finally found the one he was looking for labelled "Arrancar Experiments", and held it out towards Harribel while sealing the others back into his arm. "Read the first page, there's enough there for you to understand why I'm saying this, but we don't have enough time to let you read any more of it at the moment. More shinigami will be arriving here any second."

Harribel stepped closer cautiously, before reaching out and taking the file from his hand. He didn't move to strike her, he simply stood there, lowering his arm as the file was taken from him. Sheathing Tiburon, she opened the file to the first page. At the very top of the page it gave a small description of the file's contents before it devolved into a very descriptive report on a conversation overheard between Aizen and another man she knew as Kaname Tousen. Above the text detailing this conversation was a small series of kanji arranged to form a single kanji.

"Channel some reiatsu into that symbol there Harribel, it's a seal that records sounds, like voices. Text alone wouldn't be enough to convince anyone really, and unfortunately even with the voice recorded Aizen wasn't being specific enough for it to count as any sort of solid proof. I would be ignored to tell you the truth; all because Soul Society knows next to nothing about these seals I use. They have no knowledge of them to fall back on, so it would be easy for Aizen to fabricate a lie to turn the situation around on me. As far as anyone listening would be concerned, I could have made a seal with a false recording."

Doing as instructed, Harribel suddenly heard Aizen's voice speaking the words written on the page. The conversation went over the different traits of a soul named Harribel they'd become interested in; a powerful soul they wanted to retrieve for unspoken reasons. This particular soul had apparently befriended three others that also possessed great potential. It then went into a brief description of her habits and personalities, detailing reasons for why they would serve useful to the organization they served, or more specifically Aizen and _his_ organization.

The conversation was indeed vague, obviously because Aizen had been in Soul Society. It did however allude to what had happened that day Harribel had decided to join Aizen. They spoke of how he had given that Hollow Harribel had attacked at Barragan's palace the power he wanted for his revenge. Knowingly enabling this hollow with power enough to defeat her and her fraccion even though he'd told her it had acted without his consent, all so that he could appear just before it had struck the finishing blow. Like a Knight in Shining Armour, arriving at the last moment to save the damsel's in distress and win their undying loyalty and devotion.

The plan had served two purposes however, and it had been masterfully executed, seeing as how it had actually worked. Aizen had won her loyalty, even getting so much as an Oath of Fealty from her thanks to the life debt she now owed him. He had also been able to display his own strength in an effort to show his superiority, eliminating any thoughts of future rebellion, and showing them that if he had wanted to he could easily destroy them regardless of their answer.

Hearing all of this though had ignited the flame of rage in Harribel, fuelled by her own correct conclusions that she had come to after listening to his words as he quite simply stated how little she actually meant to his plans, and that her loss and that of her fraccion if he'd failed to save them in time wouldn't have meant much in the end for he could just use another hollow. That he'd overestimated her abilities if she couldn't survive against such a weak experiment long enough for him to arrive. They were all simply numbers to him, one hollow made no difference from another.

Her gaze had darkened ominously at the last statement especially, with the sound of grinding teeth accompanying the shaking of her hands as she gripped the file angrily, nearly ripping it in half. She had been played! '_He tricked all of us! All three of us were fooled by that gentle countenance, a facade to conceal the snake of a man that he truly is! That bastard! Practically ordering my death just so that he could USE me! I knew that Arrancar had been about to say something along those lines back then before Aizen cut him down! How could I have been so stupid to have not seen it!'_

Naruto looked at the shaking woman solemnly, not regretting for even a moment telling her the truth of the man she practically revered. Hers had been a case that Naruto had felt genuine anger about, having something similar happen to him while he was alive so long ago. They were quite similar all truth told; both having their loyalty abused for the gain of others before being betrayed in the worst way possible by someone they had looked up to. Naruto had lost a friend because of it, and Harribel had nearly lost those she held dear because of a mad man's scheming.

"I'm sorry Harribel-san, I truly am." Naruto stated calmly. "Aizen has actually done us both a favour by sending you here, seeing as how I was able to reveal the truth to you; but I really must go now, if I linger any longer I won't be able to get the upper hand on Aizen and he will continue to be in control of the situation. You may do what you like, but I would recommend making yourself scarce. Leave Aizen to me and go someplace safe where he won't be able to find you. You know what kind of man Aizen is now; so you know if he realizes you've betrayed him that you won't survive long."

Harribel looked up then, her darkened gaze piercing into his soul as she looked into his eyes. She was searching for any hint of deceit, anything to tell her that he too was playing around with her. When she found none, Harribel forced herself to calm down, her reiatsu calming and finally becoming bearable for her only conscious fraccion. "I will join you, Naruto-san."

Naruto nodded. "That's good, now I really must be—beg your pardon?" He looked over at her owlishly, and since he'd been a quarter of the way to picking up his sword before her statement he looked rather comical.

Harribel closed the file and walked up to Naruto until she was standing less than a foot from him, looking up into his eyes and noting his confusion. Noting idly that even bending down as he was he was still taller than her. "I will join you; if you are fighting against Aizen then it would be best that you did not do so alone. He is gathering an army as you most likely know already, so facing him alone would do nothing but see you quickly overwhelmed. Besides," Harribel handed the folder back to Naruto as he gripped his sword, pulling it from the ground and receiving the file with his other hand before standing up straight as Harribel turned away from him. "I will see Aizen destroyed for playing with my Loyalty like this; and wasn't it you that told me to place my loyalty somewhere it wouldn't be betrayed? I may not know you well, but I feel in you a kindred spirit; you will not betray me." There was that infamous and completely terrifying Righteous Feminine Fury that men the world over feared. At this point Naruto was actually starting to worry about Aizen, the poor bastards plotting was gearing up to bite him in the ass... or kick him in balls. Depends on your point of view really.

Naruto blinked, looking down at the folder in his hand completely dumbstruck. '_How the hell did I not see that one coming?'_

Sealing the file and his sword back into his arm Naruto frowned, suddenly getting serious. "If you're coming with me, then hurry and gather your friends. I'll need to apply seals on you to hide your reiatsu so that we can get into the Seireitei undetected. There are a few things we'll need before we can leave, and the Seireitei is unfortunately the only place we can acquire them. It's also the only way out of Soul Society."

"Why would _you_ need to be undetected?" Harribel asked, a brow raised in question.

Naruto smiled sadly. "As far as anyone who knows me will be concerned, you killed me today Harribel; and as far as Aizen is concerned, we killed each other in our battle here." Harribel nodded at that answer and moved to make her way to her fraccion before a small burst of static announced the arrival of said fraccion; Sung-Sun having appeared carrying both of her fellow fraccion on her shoulders.

"I brought the others when I felt your battle reach it's conclusion Harribel-sama, now we should-" stopping mid sentence when she noticed Naruto standing there, Harribel palmed her face as the young arrancar dropped her companions roughly and drew her sai. "Harribel-sama, why is he still-"

"Alive Sung-sun?" Harribel finished for her. "Due to some unforeseen circumstances, we will be joining him. I will explain it later but for now I'll simply say that Aizen played us."

Sung-sun looked utterly confused but nodded at her mistresses words before putting her sai away.

With that little bit of unpleasantness out of the way, Naruto got started on applying the seals to their bodies, keeping it to just three for now. Two on their wrists and one on their collarbones above their breasts. Sung-sun had actually giggled while he did this, apparently being quite ticklish, while Harribel hadn't made a sound, simply offering the body parts he requested and holding perfectly still so that he could finish quickly.

Once done, Naruto picked up the one named Mila Rose in a princess carry before motioning to his newest companions. He could sense the reiatsu of several captains and another shinigami quickly approaching them, and needed to get them out of here before they arrived lest they be found. He'd already activated the seals so they shouldn't be able to sense them, but they could still see them. His heart was already beginning to ache now that he could recognize the Shinigami quickly making their way towards them; what he was about to do would no doubt hurt them a great deal, and if there was one thing Naruto hated to do it was hurt those he loved.

Having a friend die on you was never easy to bear, and that's exactly what he wanted them to think.

Harribel picked up Apacci and followed in sonido as Naruto used shunpo to vacate the area, moving quickly and quietly on a path that would lead them around the approaching Shinigami and towards the Seireitei. They would only be there for a matter of minutes, but Naruto had changed his mind and told them along the way to wait within District One until he returned. It would be too difficult to sneak three people inside the Seireitei if the alarms were blaring like they were. It was very likely that the entirety of the city was swarming with Shinigami by now.

The larger the group, the larger their chances of being seen.

While Harribel and her fraccion slipped into a broken down storage shed in the district, Naruto left Mila Rose with them, gently handing her over to Harribel after she'd put Apacci down on the floor. He then assured them he would be back shortly before making his way out of the district and heading straight for the Seireitei.

**(BREAK: Perspective Change)**

It hadn't taken him long to reach the Seireitei, and Naruto was counting his lucky stars that they hadn't lowered the walls, which would make his entry an infinitely more difficult affair. Once inside, Naruto had first made his way to the Juniban-tai barracks, swiping about a half a dozen gigai and making sure to alter the records so that it didn't look suspicious. He then did the same for a case of gikon, and a few denreishinki as well as kikanshinki just in case, before making his way out of the barracks and heading towards the Niban-tai compound.

He needed clothing since he was only half dressed at the moment, and it was the only place he kept spare clothes in case he needed a fresh set.

He was in and out in under ten seconds, entering through the window of his bedroom and going straight to the wardrobe. He took only three sets, so that it didn't look strange if searched, and put them away in one of the many storage seals on his body before making his way back out the window and into the night.

He stuck to the shadows, keeping low and quiet as he made his way back to District one and the waiting arrancar.

He was honestly surprised that Harribel had trusted him so quickly. He'd simply expected her to vow her feminine justice on Aizen for abusing her trust and that of her friends and then go on her merry way. He didn't expect for her to place her loyalty or her trust in _him_.

She would definitely bear watching, since this could all just be a plot to catch him off guard again. That last time had frickin' hurt like a bitch so he was in no rush to experience it again.

Once he'd made his way back to the large storage shed, Naruto entered through the heavy doors only to be met by silence. Looking about in confusion, he finally saw Harribel standing at the back of the building with her arms crossed under her breasts. She was staring at him intently upon his entry but said nothing until he'd made his way over to her.

Looking down he noticed Sung-sun busily fretting over the still unconscious pair of arrancar. '_Must have hit them a little too hard._' Turning his attention back to the still silent Harribel, Naruto nodded once. "We should be ready to go, I was hoping they would be awake to walk themselves, it'll be harder to sneak over to the official Senkaimon with a pair of unconscious bodies, but we'll have to make do I guess."

One of Harribel's eyebrows moved upwards. "You are aware that we are _hollows_ and are capable of opening a garganta correct?"

Naruto stopped completely at that. He had indeed forgotten that they would be capable of doing that. They looked so _human_ that he'd forgotten they were hollows for a moment. Turning to look about the warehouse, Naruto nodded. "Alright, but wait a moment while I set up a temporary seal to block out sensors. That sort of thing would immediately send up some pretty big red flags back in Seireitei and they would be able to track it to the exit location in the World of the Living."

Harribel nodded and watched as he set about his work, dragging his finger through the dirt at their feet and drawing a strange series of kanji that didn't actually say anything coherent. He did so slowly and carefully, even though it would be relatively easy to use his reiatsu to create an imprint of the seal he had in mind. Then again, they were supposed to be incognito, and he couldn't have anybody detecting their reiatsu, no matter how brief or tiny the surge.

Once done, Naruto nodded to Harribel as he very gently pushed the bare minimum of reiatsu into the seal to activate it, hoping that he could get away with even that much, even if it didn't matter much at this point.

Even if any shinigami had detected it, they would be long gone before they arrived.

Harribel nodded, raising her right arm and snapping her fingers. In an instant, a dark gaping hole had opened in the air. The dark abyss staring back at him not doing much to comfort him about his earlier suspicions. They could just trap him inside and forget he ever existed after all. Trapped between the dimensions for the rest of eternity.

That was definitely not a comforting thought.

_**(UBER LONG FLASHBACK OF DOOM: END)**_

It was a harrowing experience, having never travelled through a garganta before, but he likened it to travelling through the Dangai. Really creepy either way you look at it. They had arrived in the Human World without incident, his fears about their plans for him being unfounded, and set about getting themselves set up somewhere suitable.

Karakura Town had been the best option because of the atmosphere it possessed that was close in nature to either Hueco Mundo or Soul Society. Since it was all concentrated in one point however, using the very reiatsu in the air to hide their presence was easier than it would be anywhere else.

Harribel and her fraction, having only ever briefly come to the Human World before now, had acclimated to life here rather quickly. It had surprised him, since they were the ones who had explained to him just what several of these modern items were. Like the Television Remote Control, cable, the internet, and Google. Among others of course, there was so much Naruto had never seen before that it was startling. Sure he had been on missions to the human world, but that was all over a hundred years ago, they didn't even have a lot of things they had now back then. The iPod especially... that thing was just neat.

Apparently they picked up on these things rather quickly, or they already knew and had just told him differently to make him feel better. Or to give themselves an excuse to make fun of him. He could see them doing that, the fraccion anyway. Harribel wasn't the type.

Sighing, Naruto tapped out the contents of his pipe and stood from his deck. Harribel and her fraccion had taken their gigai's, heavily modified by several combinations of seals, and had gone out for the day to do whatever it is women do when men aren't around; so he was free to lounge about and relax.

He'd been training non-stop for years now and a few days of rest every now and then were appreciated. Then again, he started wondering about what the girls could be doing today; every time they went out like this they usually racked up his credit card bill and returned with bags upon bags of-

He didn't even want to think about it. _Clothes_ _Shopping_... ugh, what a terrifying activity. Even now he wasn't sure he would survive ten minutes of it. No matter how attractive the models, actually, that's probably what made the whole experience so dangerous for Naruto. The women he had living with him were damned attractive; just the thought of them in certain outfits was enough to give Naruto a rather impressive nose-bleed.

Now if only those three fraccion of Harribel's could stop arguing for one day. No for a few minutes! _'I swear, every few seconds those three come up with something to fight about, can they not just get along for a little while? It would save Harribel and I a headache at the very least; and would save me money on property damages as well.' _

As he walked through his house, the memories of such times would haunt him. Shoji doors getting smashed to pieces, walls being broken down, and having his house nearly burned down for the second time in two hundred years nearly having given him a heart attack. Those girls, Mila Rose and Apacci especially, made living quietly impossible.

Mila Rose and Apacci were the two usual culprits, while Sung sun was more the quiet, but witty and sharp tongued younger sister who enjoyed egging them on while making it look like she was rebuking them. He liked Sung Sun, she was well mannered and polite, intelligent and witty, but god if she didn't enjoy watching those two tear each other apart.

A large amount of noise from the front door suddenly drew Naruto's attention as he made his way into the sitting room. He could hear Mila Rose and Apacci bickering about something again, but he could also hear another voice being added into the mix this time; and it wasn't Sung Sun or Mila Rose. Did they bring guests? That was odd, even though he'd never told them that they couldn't, they'd never brought a normal human to the house before. Though this sounded like an entire gang of humans instead of it being just one.

Sitting down in his cushion pile, something he found he just couldn't part with, Naruto repacked his pipe and awaited the new arrivals with growing trepidation.

He was going to regret not at least telling Harribel and the others what kind of company he'd meant when he'd laid those ground rules so long ago now.

He just knew it.

**(BREAK)**

Harribel sighed as she watched her fraccion go at it again, and in the middle of the mall at that. They'd stopped for a bite to eat in the malls large food court after a long day of shopping; food, clothes, accessories, and other womanly essentials being among the things they'd come looking for. Ending the day after having spent close to one million yen in the last four hours. The day had been going well until almost immediately after they'd started eating; Mila Rose and Apacci had apparently disagreed on which condiment was best for the dish they'd decided to eat and it quickly devolved into what human males described as a 'cat-fight'.

Alas it was time for them to head on home and see to Naruto, old men like him tended to get lonely quickly and needed the company that they offered unless they wanted to see a grouchy Sage when they got home. These being the words of Apacci one day when Naruto hadn't spoken to them for a full day after one of their twelve hour shopping stints. Of course, what only Harribel knew was that a group of Shinigami with strange reiatsu had appeared in Karakura that very day. He'd obviously been trying to figure out what such a large group of Shinigami had been doing in the human world and had been lost in thought. It happened to Naruto quite often, getting lost in his thoughts, she could swear that term could be used literally in his case.

The reason they had all this money was because Naruto had started writing Erotic Literature only about ten years ago; apparently, they were quite the hit with a large portion of the male populous in the human world, and a much smaller portion of females. She couldn't understand why, though she could honestly say she had nothing against the series either in spite of it's crude nature and its' tendency to demean and paint women as sexual deviants and sluts. She had even let Naruto use her as a model for one of the characters when he'd asked; but only after he'd clearly stated that he didn't need to see them in the nude, no matter how nice the experience might have been for him, and he wouldn't mention them by name.

He was a gentleman with strong moral integrity, and even writing that book series seemed to put quite a bit of strain on him. When she'd asked why he wrote them if he didn't even like them, Naruto had replied that they were the work of his late god-father and that he'd promised to carry on his legacy a long time ago. That made it very easy for her to understand his motives, and easier still to not hold his particular choice of profession against him.

It helped that it was such a great earner; making it possible for Harribel and her fraccion to live the lives of queens, without having to worry about money. He treated the four of them very well, giving them as much money as they could ever want to buy things they either needed or fancied; cooked meals for them and even cleaned up around the house.

He was practically a house husband; only he was the one who earned the money as well. Harribel wasn't sure if that's what being a House Husband meant. Wasn't it the women who were supposed to be the big earners in that particular scenario?

Shaking her head and deciding to break up the little argument in front of her before Mall Security was called again, Harribel stood from her seat and dumped the contents of her tray into a nearby trash can before making her way to the arguing girls, Sun Sun watching from the side and giggling into her sleeve as always.

The four of them had gone to great lengths to distance themselves from Aizen and their former lives as his 'servants'; Sung Sun having donned a more colourful pink shirt with over-long sleeves, and a pair of dark dress pants and plain shoes. Apacci had taken to wearing a sleeveless black shirt with frayed shoulders, black jeans and runners. While Mila Rose had taken to wearing a leather Jacket, white undershirt and tight black leather pants and laced leather boots.

Harribel herself hadn't changed much other than the colour scheme of her outfit. The top was now black without the gloved extensions on the sleeves and a lower collar so that her face was visible, since the gigai basically gave her the body of a human and her bone fragments hadn't been part of the package deal so to speak, she didn't feel the need to hide her face anymore. Her hakama however had been replaced by a pair of black hip hugging jeans held up by a belt with a large silver buckle terminating in a pair of high heeled black boots.

She had noticed the looks she received from people who saw her, older women saw her as some sort of slut if their disgusted expressions at her attire were anything to go by. While younger women looked at her with something akin to admiration or jealousy in the cases of those whose boyfriends and husbands all practically went brain-dead at her mere sight.

Even Naruto sometimes stopped to stare at her on the odd occasion but he was much better at regaining control of himself quickly so that he didn't make a complete ass of himself. No wonder he found it so easy to use her as reference material for those books of his, she was practically half naked every day.

"Mila Rose, Apacci, you're causing a scene."

Instantly, it went quiet. Mila Rose and Apacci having frozen in mid punch or slap respectively, with a deer in head lights expression. The two untangled from each other quickly and uttered their apologies before following after Harribel as she left the Food Court, Apacci vowing revenge on Mila Rose for making her look bad in front of Harribel-sama and Mila Rose brushing her off casually as she fired an insult into the shorter woman's face.

This normally would have started another argument, but since their mistress was on the track to leaving them behind, they stowed their hostility for the moment and rushed after her, neither of them missing the fact that Sung Sun had been giggling into her sleeve for the passed several minutes.

After they'd gathered their bags, actually starting another fight over who would be carrying Harribel's bags, the group had headed off for the house of their new boss. They liked the newer boss more than the old boss, but they were still a little sore about that first meeting.

Well Apacci and Mila Rose were since they'd been beaten down so easily, while Sung Sun found humour in that particular memory as well.

At least this boss wasn't a complete douche like that last guy. He didn't sit in a throne waving his fingers at them imperiously or speaking down to them like one would a child. He was kind and gentle, polite and possessed a good sense of humour. He told them about his plans in their entirety and what he would need of them if they were to succeed. He was up front and honest, very much unlike their last boss.

Yet they could all tell he was sad. They could see it every day, his personal anguish creating a dull atmosphere on those days where it got really bad. They had at first thought it was about leaving the Soul Society, but had learned from Harribel that it was actually more than just that.

Harribel was the only one he actually talked to as more than just an acquaintance; though it didn't help that the three of them walked on eggshells when around him either.

They were about half way home when they came across a large group of girls facing down an even larger group of boys. Both groups were made up of teenagers from the ages of fifteen to eighteen, and all of them appeared to be armed. There were dozens of people walking hurriedly away from the scene, covering their faces with any object they might be holding as they made their escape so an not to be identified.

A territorial dispute? Weird, Harribel hadn't been aware of any gangs in the area. Then again she never cared for such things either, so she probably just wasn't paying attention to it. All she cared about now was getting stronger and destroying Aizen.

It appeared however that the boys were blocking their way, and this just would not do.

Harribel continued forward, ignoring the warnings from the young women on the other side of the path as they took notice of her and her fraccion; but it wasn't needed.

If the boys wouldn't move out of the way when she asked, then she would make them move.

Stopping a few feet shy of one of the larger men in the group Harribel looked him square in the eyes, or tried to anyways, since the moment he'd laid eyes on her his eyes immediately dropped down to her breasts. "Excuse me, my associates and I are trying to get home, could you please get off the street?"

The large man simply continued to stare, but the rather roguish looking young man with the dirty stubble and greasy long hair standing behind him answered for him. "Look at this guys! This lady here wants us to leave the streets, should we get acquiesce to her kindly request?"

There was a resounding denial, and a few compromises shouted into the air. Such things as having her and her fraccion go with them for 'entertainment', or some other such nonsense. Of course, Harribel shook her head, before lunging forward without warning.

It was a massacre. One woman against a large group of well over thirty teenagers, and she was mopping the floor with them. It had ended just as quickly as it had started, lasting only a few minutes; but in the end, Harribel was left standing in a street littered with bruised and battered young men, all of which were either unconscious or lying on the ground and groaning as they clutched at their man-hoods.

Maybe that would teach them to respect women a little more.

Before she could walk away, her and her fraccion were suddenly surrounded by the other gang; this one being apparently nothing but young women in their early to late teens. They all had stars in their eyes as they complimented her ceaselessly on her strength and her 'cool beauty'. Saying they wanted to be just like her when they grew up.

Of course, Harribel had no ideas on how she could deal with this new problem, so she simply pushed her way out of the group and continued on her way.

Her number of followers increased from just three to nearly sixty in under a few minutes much to her consternation.

When the large group arrived at the mansion near downtown Karakura, the girls following them were once again in awe. A particular couple of girls, and one they'd snagged off the street on their way here that they'd called Tatsuki-Aneki, walked up to Harribel and her fraccion while dragging the red faced young woman with the short and spiky black hair by her collar.

The young woman had stopped trying to fight them off, considering she was pretty badly outnumbered, and had simply made it difficult on them. If they wanted to drag her along on their stupid little get-together, they could literally drag her.

"Is this your house Harribel-Onee-sama? As would be expected of such a beautiful and strong woman!" One of her newest followers stated loudly, even the newest arrival seemed surprised and impressed.

Harribel however took one look at the girl and shook her head. "I don't own this house, but I do live here with the one who does."

Nodding the girls all asked what they wanted to know next. Who could possibly own such a large house in Karakura, and what were they to their new Onee-sama?

Harribel took a moment to think on that question before coming up with the best answer possible.

"My boss."

**(BREAK)**

Naruto was not a betting man, but when he did gamble he usually won. Often showcasing his ability to send the worlds wealthiest casino's into a downward spiral towards bankruptcy; in simpler terms, he cleaned them out.

It was this particular talent that he was hating right now. Since it would appear he did indeed need to clarify which 'company' was acceptable company with Harribel and her fraccion.

Why would he decide this was actually necessary? Simple.

Sitting in his pile of cushions, eyebrow twitching in irritation in spite of the admittedly calm look on his face, Naruto sat smoking his pipe as he listened to Harribel explain what had happened to her and her fraccion this afternoon on their way back, while sitting in Seiza on the floor in front of him.

Her fraccion sitting in a row behind her and what had to be fifty girls all sitting in neat rows of ten behind them. Fifty! Girls! In! His! House!

MADNESS!

It didn't help that these girls were all looking at him as if he were the enemy, but it was an all-girls street gang, some of them even looked like biker chicks! Of course they viewed him as the enemy, most of them were lesbians or feminists! Or both!

He had a headache. This was ridiculous; he had never in his wildest dreams considered this as a possibility when they came here over one hundred years ago. Yet Harribel was apparently the perfect definition of what these young women aimed to become in life.

She was beautiful, and unbelievable sexy, strong and taciturn. A woman of few words, but profound statements and strong beliefs, easily proving that women could be just as powerful as men. Even more so in some cases.

She was, Naruto knew, the perfect role-model for young women in their teens. Of course she would attract a following, he just didn't think it would happen so bloody quick and that she would bring them all to his house when she did!

Then again, if they picked up her taste in clothing, the men of this world were doomed to raging erections and bloody noses every time they looked outside for the rest of eternity.

He just refused to believe that most of these girls were still in high school; it just wasn't possible. Some of these girls had the figures of women in their twenties! At least with a role model like Tier the chances of them getting attacked by molesters or worse were lowered considerably.

What man in his right mind would attack a woman who made it a point to aim for the testicles? Trust him, he would know. Many a spar had ended in extreme pain and ice-packs on that particular extremity when she decided she wanted to actually win for once.

It hurt. A lot.

Exhaling a large cloud of smoke, Naruto sighed. "Harribel. While I understand what happened, what I really want to know is... why are they here? In my house? Sitting in seiza in my sitting room and looking at me as if I'm some sort of mobster?"

Harribel blinked and actually had the decency to blush, though it was small and barely noticeable. "They followed me home, and I decided that we could put them to good use here." Naruto raised an eyebrow and motioned for her to continue as he idly puffed on his pipe. "You have been working very hard lately, not only on our plans for the future, but in taking care of me and my fraccion as well. I believed we could have them take some of of that burden off of you and use them around the house for what the people in this city call, 'cheap labour'."

Saying it out loud, so bluntly and without a care for what the girls behind you would think about it. That's Tier Harribel ladies and gentlemen. "Is that so, what can they offer me that I can't do myself just as easily?"

Harribel tilted her head to the side in thought, reminiscent of Naruto's own habit during his younger days; and something he still did every now and then. "Time to yourself that you don't have to spend cleaning? Cheap Labour? Security for the grounds? Did I mention cheap labour? Are these points good enough?

Naruto hummed in thought, exhaling a plume of smoke through his nostrils as he did. He looked out over the girls in front of him, all of whom seemed to be looking at him intensely.

They didn't seem to care that Harribel was basically signing them up for a job where they would basically be little more than maids; they were actually looking at him as if daring him to say no.

With another sigh, Naruto leaned back in his pile of cushions and placed his pipe back in his mouth. "Fine, anyone who agrees will be paid a flat rate of twenty five-hundred yen per hour. If I tell you to do something, you do so immediately. My bedroom and the study are off limits, as are the shed in the yard. If you see kanji written on the walls, you are not to touch them, they are there for a reason. Noise is to be kept to a minimum, the only exception to this rule being training days." When Naruto fell silent, he bore witness to the dumbstruck expressions on the faces of those girls present. Their eyes were wide, and their jaws were hanging open, while Harribel and her Fraccion had expected him to say yes in the first place.

It was the kind of person he was.

Naruto puffed on his pipe before closing his eyes. "This starts now, Harribel is your task-master, so my first order to you all is to do as she says and leave me be."

The girls all turned their attention to Harribel who simply sighed. "I guess we should figure out who does what before I send you home for the day. Let's go to the yard ladies."

So they did, and when the door closed behind them Naruto was once again left in the quiet, empty sitting room. Sighing in content Naruto did what he did best. Smoke his pipe and look awesome doing it.

He loved his life sometimes; and absolutely hated it at others, it could get so surreal. Like what had just happened.

He could swear he just accepted a demand from Harribel to let her keep some new pets.

**(BREAK)**

Arisawa Tatsuki sighed as she made her way home for the day, scratching her head in mild annoyance and slight confusion over the days' events. She had been walking home from school, when she'd seen the large group of teenage girls walking in the opposite direction coming straight towards her. They were following a group of women that she'd never seen before and rambling on about something or other, ending all statements directed at the tall blonde with "Onee-sama".

So they'd found themselves a hot new boss with the whole 'cool and exotic beauty' thing going for her while boasting an admittedly frightening aura of strength. Good for them, but that was as far as her interest went.

They'd been trying to recruit her for years, ever since she'd proven herself to be the second strongest girl of their age-group in Japan. Her answer every time had been no of course, she had no interest in such things; seeing them as a waste of her time and effort when she could be training or doing homework to keep her grades up.

She hadn't expected them to literally grab her and start to drag her with them though. No request to join them, no explanation, they just grabbed her and continued on their way. She'd slugged a few of them without hesitation or regret, something that seemed to impress the tall blonde if the raised eyebrow and small smirk were any indication, but in the end the girls ended up literally dragging her with them.

After close to fifteen minutes of walking, they'd come across the largest house Tatsuki had ever seen in her young life. She'd seen bigger in magazines and on TV, but never in real life had she actually been this close to such a place.

She knew what this place was of course. It was listed on the television program titled 'Japan's Rich and Famous' as being owned by the Author Uzumaki Naruto. One of the wealthiest men alive thanks in great part to his books and smart investing.

She hadn't actually seen this place up close before, having heard only vaguely that it was located in the heart of Karakura, and was owned by the mysterious author who was responsible for writing a certain book series that was beloved by men and some of the more extreme women the world over. He was almost never seen outside of his home, and when he was, he was usually wearing traditional clothing and smoking a pipe.

Tatsuki thought he was probably just some old pervert; was probably right too since this house had only been owned by a single family under a single name for over a hundred years. If the original owner was still alive, he was probably some wrinkly old gas-bag with a butt-fetish. When the beautiful blonde in the skimpy clothes had called him "her boss" she amended that to 'wrinkly old mobster with a butt-fetish'.

Upon going inside however, her initial suspicions were proven to be grossly incorrect. For the first time in her life she had actually blushed at the sight of a man. Her eyes going wide and pupils dilating, as her lips parted and jaw hung open.

The man was nothing like what she'd expected. He was young and handsome, with long messy blonde hair tied into a single wild ponytail reaching down to his lower back; sharp oceanic blue eyes stared out from beneath messy bangs that framed his lean face, and his thin lips were set into a straight line around the mouth-piece of an ornate pipe.

He was strong jawed with high cheekbones and narrow eyes set beneath thin blonde eyebrows. His skin was a light tan, not like the type you see on all those actors or models, but a tan that was developed over years of working outdoors. He had broad shoulders leading down to highly defined pectoral muscles and shoulders, rock hard biceps and magnificently developed triceps. The muscles in his abdomen were no different, some muscles that were visible on this man she'd never known could actually be developed to such a degree. His body was built for a combination of speed and strength, not sacrificing one for the other, but attempting to maintain a balance between them.

He was wearing a red haori with a black flame pattern near the hem, reaching about a quarter of the way up the article of clothing; underneath which he wore a fishnet shirt that left his chest and abdomen bare, and a black hakama with white socks on his feet.

She could see what the critics meant by traditional, but damn this guy made it look good. Looking back over at the woman who had led them here, she compared the two and realized that the man in front of them was on a whole different level.

If her 'aura' was one of frightening strength, then this man was absolutely terrifying; she knew it then and there, that this was a true master. Of what, she had no clue, but she knew it just the same.

The man had sighed when he took notice of the large gaggle of young women in his home before placing his pipe in his mouth and looking the blonde woman straight in the eyes. "Sit down, and tell me what happened Harribel."

Her name was Harribel? What an odd name, she was obviously a foreigner, with her dark skin and bright blonde hair, but she couldn't think of any place where she could have come from. Hawaii maybe?

The next hour found the entire group of girls, herself included, sitting in seiza behind the Harribel woman and the other three she'd never seen with the gang before, as Harribel explained what she'd been up to that day.

Apparently she and the other women had spent what amounted to, in Tatsuki's eyes, an obscene amount of money on clothes and other such pointless things. Before Harribel had taken down an entire rival-gang single handed without a scratch.

The man didn't seem surprised by any of this, or angry about the amount of money they'd spent, so he was obviously paying them really well or he was rich enough that he didn't care about how much of his money they spent.

Probably both.

After that, she'd explained what had happened afterwards and why these girls had followed her. Apparently they'd named her the new leader of their gang without her agreement, so she'd brought them here to actually put them to use. It was a large house, and Tatsuki hadn't seen any maids since she'd arrived; so it made sense.

The way she said it though, damn if that wasn't funny. The looks on the girls faces when they heard they were being reduced to menial chores around the home belonging to a member of the hated male species was absolutely priceless. Especially when said male was the author of a book series that demeaned women on every page.

Over the last year or so, the book's style had actually changed however; they were no longer so demeaning towards women, and had actually become rather tasteful. It was the reason why some women had actually become fans of the later books in the series; and if Tatsuki wasn't mistaken, Harribel had actually been used as a model for one of the characters that Honsho was so fond of.

Honsho had always been a breast girl, and this woman had those in spades and clearly wasn't shy about showing them off either.

Tatsuki had been even more surprised when the man had actually accepted. Quickly laying down terms of employment and rules of his house before telling them to leave him in peace. Twenty five hundred yen—an hour! That was better than most of the jobs you could get with a college education!

She was actually tempted to take his offer, but there was something she wanted to be absolutely sure of before she did. Whether or not the man was a pervert who simply hid it well, or if he was the genuine article. A rich man with far too much time on his hands that decided he'd write smutty books to pass the time and sate his urges.

The imagination was a powerful thing after all, and it was proven that men thought about sex every thirty seconds, so why not put it down in a book and actually make use of those perverted thoughts? Had to be healthier than holding it in or expressing those thoughts by molesting the bouncy young women that surrounded them every day.

Like Honsho.

If this man was anything like that perverted lunatic she'd beat his face in repeatedly. Just like she did Honsho everyday.

When she finally made it home, she had a quick dinner with her parents before heading to her room to get her homework done before school the next day.

It was tough being a teenager in the world of today after all.

**(BREAK)**

The next day found Tatsuki doing much the same as she did every day. Meet up with Inoue Orihime on her way to school, beat up the admittedly smaller than usual group of creeps trying to get a date from said innocent girl, punch Honsho in the face when she attempted to grope said innocent girl's breasts, and study as hard as she could throughout the day until the lunch bell.

When lunch finally came, she found herself outside with the usual group of girls; the schools resident lesbian Honsho Chizuru, Suzuki Mai, Kunieda Ryo, Ogata Michiru, and Mahana Natsui. They were very shortly joined by Orihime who had gone to get her lunch and the horrors that usually dwell within said bulging bento's, and the new girl Kuchiki Rukia. Who's appearance at the school had Tatsuki a little weary. The girl was a good actor, but there was something about her that seemed fake. She could also have sworn that she and Ichigo knew each other.

A secret affair perhaps? If that's the case why make it secret? Ichigo was pretty high up on the list of eligible bachelors in the school in spite of his hair colour and thuggish reputation; having a girlfriend would actually make things easier on him. Especially one who was as sweet as little Miss Kuchiki.

The height difference was a little disconcerting, but to each their own.

They got into the usual conversation, with Honsho repeatedly making a grab for Orihime's breasts, and sometimes actually succeeding before Tatsuki decked her square in the face, and the other more carefree girls of their group discussing the latest guy on their list of interests. Debating about the best choices and why they would or wouldn't make a good boyfriend.

For once, Tatsuki actually found herself contributing to that conversation, which surprised everyone present, even Orihime. Considering that when she spoke she actually blushed ever so slightly. "I met someone just yesterday actually, that even Honsho would be interested in. For different reasons of course, but the sentiment is the same."

Honsho raised an eyebrow at that one as the other urged Tatsuki to describe this guy in detail. When she did she could literally see drool escaping from the corner of their mouths, their eyes glazed over as they fell into their fantasies in an attempt to create an image of this man.

"No wonder you're interested you tom-boy. The guy's a muscle-bound practitioner of some sort of martial art the very least." Honsho stated dryly. "However, I don't see why I would be interested. You do know that I'm a lesbian right?"

Seeing that she'd been unable to get Honsho with the program with her description of the man she'd met yesterday, she decided to drop the bomb on her. "He's the owner of that big mansion downtown, you know the one; surrounded by the really high wrought iron fence with a large yard and storage shed. Traditional Japanese architecture over a hundred years old? Very well maintained?" Seeing Honsho's eyes widen in realization Tatsuki wasn't even able to get out his name before the lesbian beat her to it.

"Oh my god!" Honsho cried loudly, lunging at Tatsuki and wrapping her arms around her waist, looking up into her face with sparkling eyes and a large perverted smile. "You actually met him! My idol, the amazing and talented Uzumaki Naruto-sama!"

Unnoticed to everyone there, a certain Shinigami twitched at the name Honsho had practically screamed to the heavens, her eyes widening in recognition for only a moment before returning to her magical juice-box.

Tatsuki drove her fist into the top of the perverted lesbian's skull, getting her to let go of her and back away to the other side of their little circle. "Yes Honsho, it was the same guy who writes those perverted Erotic Novels you like so much. I swear you're such a guy some times."

"I wish!" Honsho cackled, getting over the pain in her cranium rather quickly as she fished through her bag and pulled out one of the books in question. It was small, barely larger than the student hand-book and coloured a dark blue. "This masterpiece was written by a true man, for all men to enjoy! He's my idol! Even though his books have gotten more tame over the years, they're still considered works of genuine art by fans and critics alike. He's the only man that I can say I am genuinely in love with! I feel such a connection to him even though I myself have never met him in person! I would go _straight_ for him!"

Sweat drops forming on their heads, the girls all stared at Honsho, absolutely dumbstruck. "You actually brought a piece of Erotic Literature with you to school? Can't you get expelled for that?" While another question uttered by one of them went more along the lines of. "Honsho actually likes a guy? The sky isn't falling is it? Is that a pig flying?" While Tatsuki herself had responded with a simple, "please do, Chizuru." Maybe then she would leave poor Orihime in peace.

Orihime meanwhile, continued eating her lunch, only vaguely listening in on their conversation and not really caring much about the subject. While Rukia kept an ear open towards the conversation yet tried to appear uninterested. If this was the same person her Nii-sama had told her about all those years ago, then he sure had changed. Her brother had described him as the perfect example of nobility despite him being rather brash and impolite.

Then again, her brother had told her he'd died some hundred years ago now, so maybe it was his reincarnation?

Shrugging her shoulders as she continued sipping away at her juice, Rukia decided it really wasn't worth fretting over. Even if this person name was similar to the one the former head of the Namikaze Clan had used when he'd been alive, it could actually just be one of the universes strange coincidences. Besides, with the way her Nii-sama had described him, he was the last person she would expect to write Erotica.

Tatsuki was actually close to doubling over after listening to Honsho go on about her personal opinion on the man's character. She had actually met the man and he didn't appear to be anything like Honsho imagined, in fact she would probably scar him for life. He appeared to be very old fashioned, strong and unyielding, yet kind and well-mannered. She could be wrong, since she hadn't actually talked to him before, but that was what made interacting with new people interesting.

You never knew what someone was like until you took the time to speak with them yourself and actually get to know them on your own terms.

Honsho however, while appearing very eager to meet the man, had him pegged as some sort of Super Pervert who groped women he found attractive at every opportunity and used the data gathered from the experience to write his books.

In short, she pictured a male version of herself.

Somewhere in Soul Society a certain white haired man wearing kabuki clothes paused in his random scribbling as he sneezed loudly. Looking up towards the sky with a grin, Jiraiya spoke proudly. "Good job Naruto, I just know you're out there somewhere spreading my awesome to the world." Looking back at his peephole, Jiraiya panicked; his sneeze and small monologue had drawn the attention of several of the women in the bath house.

When he tried to run he would quickly realize that all these women were members of the Female Shinigami Society. As such they were all shinigami with varying degree of skill in shunpo.

He didn't get far, and his freakish, girly screams were heard all throughout Soul Society for hours on end.

Back to the world of the living, their conversation had devolved into a series of questions and short answers, as the girls tried to milk the tom-boy for her opinion on this local hunk who's apparent female bodyguard was so strong she was supposedly able to take on an entire gang of delinquents by herself with ease.

They could honestly say they'd never seen a man like what she was describing, but they had seen a woman that matched this Harribel's description, and Honsho had confirmed that she was indeed used as a model for one of the Female Police Officers in Icha Icha: Law and Order.

She also commented on how steamy that particular book had been since it had included several other tough, dominant and very curvy women in addition to the attractive blonde woman whom they had just confirmed was in fact a real woman.

Honsho sat in a thinking pose, her legs crossed boyishly and her chin resting on the knuckles of her hand. "Are all the women he uses in his books modelled after real women? If so then this guy is my all-time favourite male ever; and a lucky bastard, I mean how hard is it to share the wealth?"

Tatsuki sighed tiredly. "I don't know if all the women in his books are real, since I didn't see any of the other women you described from that particular book in or around his house. In fact, I've never seen them around Karakura period. There's a good chance he used real life people as a basis for his characters, but at this point the only confirmed real-life model used detail for detail was this Harribel woman who works for him." Tatsuki stood up to leave, since the bell was going to ring any moment now, but Honsho took a hold of her skirt and held on for dear life, nearly pulling the article of clothing off of her completely. "Chizuru! Can you let me go? Lunch is practically over and I've told you everything I know. So let. me. Go!"

"But Tatsuki, you have to introduce me to him! You have to! We're friends aren't we?"

Tatsuki ground her teeth in irritation, she really did not want Chizuru anywhere near this guy. There's no telling what would happen if she did as she was being asked, especially with those beautiful women living with him. Chizuru was sure to molest at least one of them when she saw them since at least two of them were very well endowed, and all of them were adults! They were bound to call the police over such a stunt! Or kill her, they were super strong; that didn't sound too bad actually.

"No Chizuru, there's no telling what you would do to those women living with him! I will not risk having that on my conscience! Now let go, you're ripping my skirt!" Lifting her hand, she clenched it into a fist before bringing it down on top of the lesbian's head in a powerful blow that sent Chizuru crashing into the unforgiving ground face first. Her grip on Tatsuki's skirt loosening enough for the tomboy to pull away without any embarrassing incidents on her list of regrets for the day. Grumbling about stupid horny lesbians and their lack of restraint, Tatsuki huffed. "Lunch is just about over so I'm gonna head back. Come on Orihime."

Orihime had packed up her things as well, having finished her strange lunch; honestly, who could stomach a meatball sub with chocolate sauce and bean paste? Which wasn't even the worst item on her menu that day. "Hai Tatsuki-chan!" Jumping up, the bubbly girl hurried to catch up with Tatsuki, Chizuru and the others still sitting there under the tree.

"Tatsuki actually has a crush on somebody." Ogita whispered quietly in disbelief.

Ryo scoffed, her nose buried in one of her books as it had been for the entire conversation. "She's a girl just like us, so it's not that surprising."

**(BREAK)**

Naruto frowned as he sensed the reiatsu of another hollow disappear. It wasn't so much the fact that he was worried about the hollows; it was the fact that the reiatsu of the Shinigami responsible had changed. It was stronger, more wild, and much warmer than the shinigami he'd sensed several weeks ago.

Knowing the Jusanban-tai, the usual assignment for shinigami was a tour of a month at the least. He'd sensed the shinigami's reiatsu when they had first arrived, and then not several days later, he'd felt a massive blast of reiatsu overtake that of the shinigami's and only the larger source had remained.

A transfer of power to a human?

That hadn't happened in some time; in fact it was made a crime to do so after the last human had been given Shinigami powers and proven that his character left much to be desired.

He'd witnessed the entire event and had to say he agreed with their decision. The young man had gone quite literally power-mad. So if another human had been given the powers of a shinigami after that last incident, especially such a powerful human, then he needed to be sure that they wouldn't become a threat.

This was why Naruto had decided to leave his home after the sun had set and the moon had risen to take its' place. Bathing the city in the soft glow of reflected light, and providing him with a cover of shadows. Even just walking down the street as he was, an experienced shinigami wouldn't be able to detect him unless he let them. Or he messed up and they actually saw him.

When that large group had arrived in Karakura not ten years after his own arrival, Naruto had been worried. He recognized their reiatsu of course, but it was the reason _why_ they had come to the human world and never returned to Soul Society that had him worried.

Had Aizen made his move and he'd missed it? No, if that had been the case then the rotations to the human world would have stopped and Karakura would be over-run by hollows.

So why were they still here? He needed answers and there was only one way to get them.

Of course, if he could just gather up the courage to face his old friends again after so long, then getting these answers would be easier than he was making it out to be. Knowing what he'd done to them was making it difficult. He deserved their anger; but that wasn't making it any easier.

He was scared that they would hate him for what he'd done. It had felt like ages since he'd last had thoughts like that; but old habits apparently really do die hard.

Coming up to his destination, Naruto read the sign above the door on the building called the 'Kurasaki Clinic.', it was in the immediate area where he'd felt that strange surge of reiatsu, and stretching out his senses momentarily confirmed his suspicions.

Within the house he could sense the reiatsu of the human that had been the source of the ambient energy he was using to hide himself here in the human world, as well as the faint presence of that shinigami he'd sensed before.

The contrast between their reiatsu was obvious, one being warm and comforting, the other being chilling, and cold to the feel, but incredibly weak. Looking about the house, Naruto took in the sight of the cordoned off area next to the house where construction crews were working on fixing up the damage to the street. From what he could see, the damage to the home itself had been patched up for the most part, but the damage to the street off to the side wasn't even half-way finished yet.

Stepping around the road-block Naruto made his way to the centre of the area and gently reached out with his reiatsu. He needed to be sure of what happened here; and he needed to be sure that the shinigami hadn't made a grave mistake in giving this human their power. The only way to do that, would be to blanket the small area with his reiatsu, singling out the lingering reiatsu of those that had been present.

Taking in what his reiatsu was telling him, Naruto willed his reiatsu to become visible to the naked eye. Covering the small area in a golden sheen, gaps in his reaitsu's flow could be made out rather easily; being the lingering reiatsu that he was looking for blocking his light covering of reiatsu from filling the space they occupied.

He could make out four shapes, two of which appeared to be small children, while the other two were larger. The shinigami and the human they'd given their power. What really concerned him however, was what he was seeing before his eyes.

His reiatsu had converged around the location of the massive surge of reiatsu he'd sensed from that night; stretching high up into the sky in a shape that resembled a blooming rose. Soft spires stretching high into the sky from a massive dome where the human's reiatsu still lingered strongly.

Frowning once again and puffing tentatively on his pipe, Naruto let his reiatsu fade. The thought of a human possessing that kind of power was disturbing; in his world such a thing was normal. Par for the course as it were; but this was not his world.

A human with that kind of power could very easily be corrupted by that power.

Power corrupts; and absolute power corrupts absolutely. It was a law of the universe, and only those with significant moral fortitude could resist human nature itself.

Breathing out a cloud of smoke, Naruto made to turn away from the area when a voice stopped him cold.

"So you are alive, Naruto."

**(BREAK)**

Standing outside of the large manor house known to be owned by Japan's most famous author, Kurosaki Isshin, formerly Shiba Isshin and father of Kurosaki Ichigo, shook his head in disbelief. The house was surrounded by young women of varying ages and body-types, all wearing black leather jackets and blue jeans. It almost looked like some kind of uniform, and considering that they were patrolling the grounds in and outside the tall fence, he was inclined to believe that was indeed the case.

'_What in the hell have you been doing Naruto?_' Isshin wondered, he had been trying to get inside for some time, of course he could just go in Soul-Form, but he hadn't yet recovered enough of his strength to do so safely. So he was stuck using the usual route.

The girls standing guard at the gate wouldn't let him in, even though he'd said he had an appointment with Naruto—their boss apparently—simply because he was male. Coincidentally, Naruto was the only man they actually liked, because of the high pay rate and benefits he was giving them for guarding his estate.

He really didn't like visitors apparently, same old Naruto.

Their conversation last night had been short, in usual Naruto fashion. He was a man of few words, a far cry different from how he'd been in life according to Yoruichi. Then again, he'd lost his children when he'd died, and Isshin could understand how that could change a man. When he'd lost Masaki he could hardly bear it; but if he were to lose one of his children, it would tear him apart. Naruto had ultimately lost the chance to be with both of his children, whom he'd loved dearly in spite of the fact that they'd yet to be born, and because of how Soul Society works he might never see them again. Never.

He'd told Isshin last night that he hadn't had much of a choice; that leading the whole of Soul Society to believe he'd died was the only way for him to gain any kind of significant advantage over his enemy.

It was an enemy that Isshin knew all too well thanks to Yoruichi and Urahara.

To think that Aizen had been ultimately responsible for Naruto's supposed death and self imposed exile as well; just how far was Aizen's reach?

They had ended their conversation with Naruto giving Isshin directions to his home, and telling him to meet him there so they could talk in private before he'd left the scene like a ghost. Simply stepping back into the shadows and vanishing completely.

Isshin still wasn't used to that.

When Isshin was turned away for what must have been the hundredth time in the last hour, he was about to give up and try another day when a voice directly behind him made him turn.

"What's going on here?"

When he'd turned he was treated to the sight of four very attractive young women. The leader was only a few inches shorter than he was with short, messy blonde hair with three braided locks falling away from her head, blonde eyebrows and thick blonde eyelashes, and vivid aquamarine eyes. She was wearing a very revealing black top with long sleeves that left her abdomen and the lower half of her large breasts exposed. A pair of dark blue jeans adorned her legs and high heeled boots topped off the outfit, making for quite the beautiful yet imposing sight.

Behind her were three other women, a hetero-chromatic young woman, one eye being blue and the other amber, with short black hair cut in a bob style. The other was a dark skinned woman as tall as the blonde, with thick wavy brown hair reaching down past her shoulders, while the last was the shortest of the group with a dainty face adorned with three pink dots beneath her right eye and long olive green hair.

They were quite the lookers, but the fact he couldn't sense anything from them, not even so much reiryoku as that of a normal soul, told him that Naruto had placed seals on them to hide their presence. Meaning in short that they were not normal human souls.

Isshin however, decided to lay on the charm. While he would only ever truly love his dearly departed Masaki, these were some very fine women in front of him. He wouldn't be able to call himself a true man if he didn't at least show some interest after all.

He needed some loving every now and then too y'know.

"Why hello there ladies, I was just telling these fine young gate guards here that I had an appointment with their employer. Maybe you could let me in and give me the grand tour." Isshin stated proudly, his twinkling pearly whites displayed in a broad smile, standing in the signature good guy pose. "Ending with the bedrooms if you know what I mean."

Of course, the four women merely dead panned in his direction, completely dumbfounded at his blatant attempt at a pick up. That had to have been the poorest attempt at seducing them that they'd seen in a long time.

Harribel sighed. "How about not." Isshin instantly deflated and Harribel pushed passed him, her fraccion following along behind. "Naruto-sama told me you would be coming, Shiba Isshin. Come, it would not do to keep him waiting—he's stressed enough as it is."

"Not enough loving from his lady-friends most like. Keeping all that sexual-frustration pent up inside isn't healthy after all."

Harribel stopped, taking in his words for a moment and actually seeing how that could be possible. While he did write those books of his, he was also living with four very attractive women and not once had he ever expressed such a need before. She had read books on human psychology, and had learned that sexually frustrated males tended to experience sickness more often than those who engaged in regular sexual activity. So what Isshin said, while initially sounding perverse and idiotic, actually had merit.

Stowing that bit of information away for the time being, Harribel led Isshin inside much to the said 'gate guards' consternation, and brought him to the sitting room where Naruto could be seen in his usual position on the deck—pipe in hand and his tray with a few sake dishes and a single large jug sat beside him.

When Isshin saw him, he immediately made his way over to take a seat beside him. Taking one of the dishes set out on the tray and filling it with sake before he simply sat there in silence with his nephew. The silence stretched on for a few minutes, both just looking out into the large yard where several young women were sparring against each other using various styles of martial arts.

"Yoruichi cried you know."

Naruto said nothing, but the pain that flashed across his face told Isshin all he needed to know. When they'd arrived at his home-stead all those years ago, only to find the scorched and bloody remains of his haori, it had been painful. Even Isshin had needed to take a break from active duties for a while to recover. To know that Naruto hadn't done it to hurt them made it easier for Isshin not to be upset with him.

Yoruichi was going to be pissed though. Never mind how Kukaku was going to react.

"I'm sorry Isshin; but as I've already explained, there was little other choice." Naruto spoke calmly, taking a sip of his sake before continuing quietly. "I knew it would hurt all of you, but Aizen had discovered my investigation and I had lost the element of surprise. To get it back, I needed to make Aizen think his attempt at assassinating me was successful."

Isshin nodded, it made sense; Aizen liked to be in control, and by effectively killing himself in the eyes of Soul Society, he had hidden himself from Aizen until he was ready to move against him. The shock of realizing he hadn't been able to predict Naruto's continued survival and intervention in his plans might just be enough to force Aizen into making a fatal mistake.

"Kukaku knew you were alive Naruto. Or at the very least she denied your death so strongly that she even had me believing it; she wouldn't hear any talk of you being dead. She would say things about how you were too stubborn to let some hollow kill you like that; how there was no way you would die before keeping your promise to her." Isshin muttered quietly.

Naruto sighed, but the small smile on his lips told of the amusement he felt at that particular train of thought. "She knows me too well Isshin. I'm not surprised that she would realize I wasn't really dead; and I do still have to keep that promise to her don't I?"

Isshin chuckled. "Which one was it? The one where you would find a way to give her back that arm of hers? Or the one where you wouldn't stop making babies until you had enough to create your own division in the Goteijusantai?"

Naruto blinked. "That second one doesn't sound like me at all Isshin. You sure you didn't just make that one up?"

Laughing, Isshin slapped Naruto on the back enthusiastically. "Of course not nephew! I have a very accurate memory when it comes to these things!"

"A selective memory more like. Your ability to imagine these scenario's never ceases to amaze me. You're just lucky Kukaku isn't here Isshin, she'd kill you." Naruto dead-panned flatly.

Isshin chuckled. "All joking aside, I should tell you that Kukaku took on your name. She's taken over as the head of the Namikaze Clan in the Seireitei, and she says all that needs to happen now is for you to crawl out of whichever hole you've managed to find yourself in and get back where you belong." Isshin sipped his sake, emptying the dish, before placing it on the deck in front of him. "You never actually told me what happened Naruto. What was it that attacked you, the kind of damage we saw at the scene was comparable to at least a Menos, yet no Menos was seen in the area."

Naruto sighed, actually regretting this part of the conversation. The revelation of just what Tier and her Fraccion were would throw Isshin for a loop. Urahara would definitely want to get his hands on them, for research and just for the sake of it. That guy was a pervert almost on the level of his late-god father. "You ever heard of an Arrancar, Isshin?"

Isshin frowned, but nodded. "Hollows that have somehow managed to take off their masks and survive the process. Infinitely more powerful than a Vasto Lord Menos Grande. Are you saying you were attacked by one of these things?"

Naruto nodded, taking a few puff on his pipe. "Not just any Arrancar either, one of the Arrancar created by Aizen's Hougyoku. Much more powerful than a naturally borne Arrancar, and much more human. They practically look human Isshin, the only difference being the hollow hole and bone fragments from what used to be their mask adorning their bodies. That, and they have Zanpakutou."

Isshin choked. "Zanpakutou? He gave hollows the power of a Shinigami? I had thought it was possible, seeing as to what he did before, but I didn't think he'd actually tried it yet let alone succeeded."

Naruto nodded, filing that little piece of information away for later, before looking over his shoulder into the house. "Tier, come over here please, and get out of your Gigai."

There was no verbal answer, but several moments later Tier walked into the sitting room behind them, her once white Arrancar Robes replaced by a similar black set. Her zanpakutou in its' usual place on her upper back and the bone like protrusions running up her spine.

Isshin looked back at her and his eyes widened. "She's-"

"Yes Isshin, this is Tier Harribel, former Tres Espada, and a Vasto Lord Class Arrancar. She and her Fraccion, or servants as it were, were the ones who attacked me back then on Aizen's order." Putting out his pipe, Naruto nodded to Harribel, letting her know it was alright to leave. She however mistook that for something else; and as she unzipped her jacket Isshin was sent rocketing off the deck and into the yard by a massive explosion of blood from his nose.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Naruto growled. "I am not cleaning that up."

**(BREAK)**

After Isshin recovered from his little episode, the three of them adjourned to the sitting room and closed the shoji doors leading out onto the deck. Once they were assured of their privacy, Naruto began to explain to him what he'd found out that had forced Aizen's hand.

"I believe my discovering the fact that Aizen had his own incomplete Hougyoku was what had forced Aizen to act against me. It would obviously have given me the leverage I needed to bring his scheming to light before the Sou-Taichou. I had been making plans to retrieve his Hougyoku for solid proof, and since the Hougyoku that Urahara had created was kept under lock and key, the Sou-Taichou would have been forced to believe my arguments and make a move." Naruto leaned back into his cushions, pointing his pipe at Isshin for emphasis. "He must have discovered my plans somehow, and it had frightened him into acting prematurely. He sent Harribel here to ensure that I was destroyed; but since he had no knowledge of my power, he had no way of knowing that what he considered over-kill, wouldn't be nearly enough to keep me down."

"Aizen had told me that he knew next to nothing about Naruto, not even how strong he was. He was confident however that I would have little issue taking care of him." Harribel stated calmly. "Even though Aizen had unknowingly ordered me to my own death, he'd also presented us both with an unusual opportunity. Aizen would have believed that Naruto had died of his wounds shortly after defeating me and my Fraccion. Giving both of us the cover we needed to, as Naruto-sama put it, 'stay under the radar'."

Naruto nodded. "While Aizen would believe both of us dead, we could hide ourselves away and grow stronger so that we would be ready to act when the time came. The circumstances behind our current allegiance being inconsequential however, just know that she's on our side." Naruto puffed on his pipe for a moment, a thoughtful look on his face. "Do we know what Aizen's after?"

Isshin nodded. "Urahara's completed Hougyoku. It's currently hidden away in the soul of one Kuchiki Rukia, the Shinigami who was assigned to Karakura not too long ago. She was forced to give her powers to my son Ichigo when our home was attacked by an Adjuchas Class Menos. It is precisely that however that gave Urahara the opportunity he needed."

Naruto shook his head sadly. "Let me guess, he gave her a modified gigai that will slowly change her soul into that of a normal human; she'll lose her powers as a Shinigami, but the Hougyoku will never be recovered once she dies and enters the cycle of reincarnation."

Isshin grunted. "I don't like how he's going about it, but it is imperative that Aizen doesn't get his hands on the Hougyoku. There's no telling what he'll be able to do with a completed Hougyoku if this-" he gestured towards Harribel at this point, "is what he can do with an incomplete Hougyoku."

Naruto hummed his agreement as he held his pipe to his lips. "It would have been best for one of us to volunteer, at least that way we wouldn't have to deceive anyone. Urahara means well, but he's practically forced the young Kuchikis involvement in this whole thing without her knowledge or consent." Suddenly, Naruto was struck by a rather strange thought. "You have kids Isshin? When did you get hitched?"

Isshin blinked and looked over at Naruto owlishly. "I didn't tell you about your Auntie Masaki did I?" Suddenly, Isshin was all smiles, practically bouncing about on the floor as he pulled a photo-album out from nowhere. Sidling up next to Naruto he started showing him various pictures of a small boy with bright orange hair, and two twin girls who quite obviously came along later if the fact they only started appearing the further they went into the album was any indication.

Naruto watched Isshin practically bursting with fatherly pride as he described each of his children. This went on for some time, the sun outside already beginning to set, before he frowned. "That son of mine though, he's become such a delinquent. Oh Masaki!" Jumping up, Isshin pulled a life-size photo of a beautiful red-head from his jacket, how it fit in there without using a storage seal Naruto would never know, before he pinned it to a wall and threw himself against it, acting as if he were trying to wrap his arms around the woman on the poster. "Where did I go wrong?" He bawled.

Naruto and Harribel turned to look at each other, both their expression being of utter confusion. When Harribel's eyebrow raised in question, all Naruto could do was shrug helplessly in response before they both turned their attention back to the weeping man.

Next thing he knew, Isshin was right in front of him on his knees, his head bowed. "I beg of you Naruto, bestow some of your wisdom and knowledge upon you delinquent cousin. Show him how a true member of the Shiba clan should be. Show him what it means to be a _true_ man!"

Naruto looked at Isshin then as if he had gone completely bonkers. His pipe was hanging loosely from his mouth as his jaw slackened. "If he's got you this concerned he must be doing just fine; besides, I'm a Namikaze, not a Shiba. You'd be better off asking Kukaku about that kind of thing; and I'm sure Kaien wouldn't be adverse to showing your son how a true man of the Shiba Clan is supposed to act. He does it a damn sight better than you do Isshin."

Naruto sighed as Isshin crouched down in the farthest corner of the room, drawing circles on the floor with his finger as a raincloud hovered over his head. He was mumbling about inconsiderate nephews, and how he was so unloved by his family; truth be told it was kind of creepy.

"Enough Isshin, you're embarrassing yourself." Naruto growled, and taking another puff of his pipe he stood up and made his way to the door. "Are we done here for the day then Isshin?"

Isshin sighed, but nodded. "Yoruichi's gonna kill you when she finds out you've been here all these years."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "I had assumed she would have found me by now. She's been in Karakura town for a hundred years or so now."

Isshin grunted his acknowledgement of the fair point. "She's been running back and forth between Soul Society to gather information on the goings on in the Seireitei. I'm afraid she hasn't had much time to come out and actually explore much of the city. That, and you're very well hidden; I almost missed this place even when I was invited here. A new seal?"

Naruto nodded. "That it is, it's engraved in the walls and on the fence outside. It's purpose is misdirection. The higher the level of an individual's reiatsu then the more effective it is in doing it's job. Which is to force your attention away from the building; it alters your perception of the area and forces one to think that the house isn't anything of any real importance. By the time you realize you're being duped, you'll already be so far away that you won't know what it was that was influencing you in the first place. Of course, one's knowledge of the house actually affects the effectiveness of the seal, and if someone who's been here before were to bring you here then the seal wouldn't work at all."

Isshin nodded. "Interesting seal then. No wonder she hasn't found you if that's the case. A house covered in seals would usually be a dead give away."

Naruto scoffed. "That's exactly why I made that seal. Can't give myself away just doing what's normal for me."

When Isshin reached the front door, he slipped on his shoes and opened the door before he paused and turned to Naruto. "Naruto, can I ask you a favour, one father to another?"

Naruto frowned, it was odd seeing Isshin actually get serious, but a serious request from Isshin was usually worth at least hearing. When Naruto nodded his affirmation, Isshin gave him a pat on one of his broad shoulders, marvelling at the fact that even doing that much had hurt his hand before speaking in a low, conspiratorial tone. "Keep an eye on Ichigo for me? If I actually had the power to do so I would, but thanks to certain events that's not an option. Make sure he doesn't get hurt too badly will you?"

Naruto sighed, knowing right away that his life was about to get hectic. "Alright Isshin, but you have to promise me something as well. I'm going to be training him, no ifs and, or buts about it. Deal?"

Isshin swallowed thickly, training with Naruto—he was feeling sorry for Ichigo already. "Alright Naruto, I give you my permission to train my son. Just don't kill him."

"Good." Naruto then shoved Isshin out the door before stepping out behind him. "Now get out of my house, you've been here long enough. Your kids are probably getting worried."

Isshin nodded before waving as he started on his way down the street. "Until next time then, nephew."

"Later you weirdo." Naruto grumbled as he closed his front door. Heading back to his sitting room, Naruto sat himself back down in his cushions and set his pipe down on it's stand. Thinking about what Isshin had asked him to do. Ichigo technically being his cousin actually made it his responsibility to make sure the kid didn't get himself killed, but he knew the day was getting close. Aizen was going to make his move soon, he just knew it. He would train Ichigo and make sure the kid was ready for that day if it killed him.

Then he had to go and see Urahara. They had much to talk about apparently; after all, he'd forgotten to ask Isshin about why Urahara and Yoruichi had left Soul Society.

"This better not come back to bite me in the ass."

Then again, life for Naruto was never easy.

**(END)**

**AN: That's another one, not much happening yet, but we have seen a few of the key players and Tatsuki has met Naruto. The fight between Naruto and Harribel was short but intense, ending in Naruto somehow managing to do more than just convince her to abandon Aizen's cause. We've also been given a look at Naruto's current power level; it being at least on par with the Primera, and that was before the time skip.**

**Now, the next chapter will focus more on some interactions between a curious Tatsuki and Naruto, and a couple of the Canon Events up to and maybe including when our good friend Uryu decides to introduce himself to Ichigo and company in his rather interesting way. I know that not much happened in this chapter, but build up will be slow, just warning you now. **

**I also know that a lot of you are going to be harping about Naruto's relationship with Kukaku or how I introduced and had Harribel switch sides so early, but it should be noted that if I added anything more to this chapter it would get so long that editing would take even longer than it usually does. So going over the first meeting between Kukaku and Naruto and some of the key points that led to their eventual engagement would have taken up way too much space. As for the thing with Harribel well, the only term I can use to explain the effects Naruto's presence has had on the Bleach universe is the Butterfly Effect. A lot of things are going to be different, one such thing being Harribel's early involvement in the story period, and her changed allegiance being the prime example of Naruto's ability to draw people to him without any effort on his part.**

**As I said before, this story will mostly focus on the canon events starting a little bit before the Soul Society Arc. Naruto will make his grand entrance, revealing himself to Urahara and Yoruichi at the climax of the epic struggle known as the Hollow Invasion of Karakura, and we'll see a bit of drama due to the fall-out of his decision to effectively kill himself. The next chapter or so will most likely be slow as I focus more on introductions between characters and such, but the Hollow invasion may or may not be included in the next chapter. We'll see how it goes, if I think not enough is actually going on in the next chapter then I'll include it. It just depends on how much content is already there.**

**I do believe that updates will probably be getting slower from here on. I spent the last three days working on this almost non-stop and I'm tuckered out. So don't be expecting another update as soon as this one. I'll try for at least once a week, but no promises.**

**Other than that, drop me a review to let me know what you think, or follow/fave if it suits you and you haven't done so already.**

**Until Next time, CrimsonxAEGIS, signing off.**


	3. Episode Three: Return of the God-Slayer

**AN: Yo! CrimsonxAEGIS here with chapter three of the Noble Hermit. Now, for reals this time, things are gonna start heating up. We're really gonna get rolling here, starting off with some interaction between Tatsuki and Naruto, and touching briefly on his interaction with the Kurosaki Twins, before we move on to the the Hollow Invasion or as the manga calls it, 'Quincy Archer Hates You,' and Naruto officially meets the gang and is reunited with some old friends. You guessed it, Naruto is going to get chewed out pretty badly in this one; but we'll also get to see Naruto unleash his unlimited badassery for the second-ish time.**

**Neow! The Harem: I have decided to officially expand the Harem a bit, so we have an updated list of honey's for Naruto since the last time. This is not final, probably wont be final until we reach the Soul Society Arc which isn't actually all that far off from the Hollow Invasion, but for now here they are, by popular demand:**

**Shihouin Yoruichi**

**Shiba Kukaku**

**Unagiya. Ikumi**

**Arisawa Tatsuki (Note: Will not be romantically involved with Naruto until after the Winter War **

**Time-skip, so is technically _not_ part of the Harem at this point in time)**

**Sui-Feng**

**Tier Harribel**

**Matsumoto Rangiku**

**Yadomaru Lisa**

**Ise Nanao**

**And I think that's it for now. I don't want it getting much bigger than this if at all. I might even remove someone from this list at some point too. As it stands this is going to be quite challenging making sure that I don't forget anyone and have them randomly falling out of the story-entirely forgotten along the wayside. We'll see how it goes though. If you haven't noticed however, I have decided that no Naruto characters apart from Naruto himself will be making an appearance in this story; for one that would just make this story that much more difficult to write due to the overload of characters, and secondly- no that's it. It would just be way too hard to write them in and do them justice. So apart from Naruto, this is a Bleach only Fic; dealing with bleach characters in a bleach plot and Bleach setting. That's it.**

**Another Incredible response from chapter two, apparently it was still a little bit fast paced, and I promise I will do my best to correct that. This one should be a little bit slower, or at the very least I'm damn well gonna try. I had a lot of people asking me to place Unohana into the Harem, unfortunately I'm still on the fence about that; the same can be said about Neliel. Both characters are awesome, I will admit that readily, unfortunately, I really just don't see how I could write them in properly, as it stands the Harem has gotten pretty big, and those two characters would demand quite a bit more attention since I don't really know much about them. But you still have time, I will take suggestions into consideration, but I may only accept one or two more characters. That's it. The absolute maximum. I may take the characters that have been suggested the most and put them in a poll for you guys to duke it out; but other than that, I have no more solid ideas. Again, I want to keep this harem from getting too large, since if you hadn't noticed by now, I am trying to focus on plot progression and character development at the same time. This on it's own is proving difficult, and the harem is sitting at nine women, which even I think is a bit big. I am not the Lemon Sage, nor am I on his level, and even he struggles at times with his large harems.**

**Other than that there aren't any other important issues. For those of you that wanted to see Shion and the kids, I'm sorry, but as I said to a few of you; those characters were only mentioned in the prologue as a tool for me to explain Naruto's emotional development. That's it, that's all. **

**At this point in time their involvement in the story really wouldn't make a heck of a lot of sense. Sure they would be attracted to the Seireitei by Naruto's fame and rumours of his ascent to Nobility, but this is Soul Society we're talking about here. Not only would it take them a very long time to even find where he lives, but there's no guarantee that Soul Society would even recognize their claim to his family name. This all happened while he was alive after all; and Soul Society is the land of the dead. In a way, it's a place where people can have a fresh start.**

**Now, after I've said all that, I am sorry to those who wanted to see some Naruto gals in this story, but at this point that would just get way too difficult to manage. I can't manage that. So it will not be happening. For those of you that asked me to keep it to Bleach Girls, then rejoice, because I saw your logic and took your advice. It's for the best.**

**Now I need to apologize for the long wait for this chapter. I am dealing with some pretty serious medical issues right now, and have just been informed that I may be dealing with either of two possibilities. A lifelong disability thanks to a twisted spine, or a cancerous tumour in my lower back. I don't know why I was given two diagnosis so different from each other but that's what I'm dealing with.**

**My doctor has me going in for blood work and MRI's and I'm also looking for work at the moment, so all of this is really eating up my time. Other than that though, I'm hoping to be able to write a little more often, so Chapter Four hopefully won't take quite so long to get out. I am sorry to all of you who genuinely like this story, but due to current circumstances, updates will be sporadic at best.**

**Now, I don't own Bleach, Naruto, or any of the characters depicted in either series. I merely use them and abuse them for my own personal amusement and that of my readers with no thought to monetary gain. Again, it would be nice; but if wishes were buffalo, I'd have a herd. :P**

**On with the Show I say!**

**Chapter Three: The God-Slayer's Comeback**

Three weeks since that conversation with Isshin, three weeks since he realized that certain events had quickly begun to spiral out of control. Three weeks, and Naruto had come to a sudden realization.

It was time to reveal himself. It was time to make the first move of many in the fight against Aizen.

His first order of business would be the safe removal of the Hougyoku from an unsuspecting Kuchiki, after that he would need to find a way to dispose of or hide it safely so that Aizen couldn't get his hands on it. He had a few ideas, all of which involved seals, and all of which took the moral highroad as compared to Kisuke's chosen method.

He could empathize with the scientist, he really could; he would do anything to make sure that Aizen's plans, whatever they may ultimately be, did not come to fruition. He did however have his reservations about what those plans could be. The Hougyoku was only one part of some sinister plot, that much was certain, it was the end-game that Naruto was still in the dark about, and which was his primary concern. Any plan that involved that instrument of unlimited power could not be good at all.

Kisuke might know more, but it was doubtful, as he'd been here in the living world almost as long as Naruto had; so that was out.

Anyway, the second order of business was the transferal of Rukia's soul to a proper Gigai. The one she was in was no good, and while it worked for Kisuke's purposes, it was counteractive to Naruto's intention of righting the wrong done to her without her knowledge.

The third order of business, which would probably come first, was meeting his young human cousins for the first time. He was especially excited about meeting the young twins, even if he didn't show it, he still enjoyed the thought of having a family again after so long. The young Kurosaki twins, from what he'd heard, were like night and day. Both were charming in their own ways, and Isshin had assured him that he would love them both to death.

Literally in his case.

The fourth order of business on his agenda, was going to say 'hi' to his old friends and getting up to speed on what Aizen had been up to since his supposed 'assassination'. If they knew more about this then he did of course.

Since his conversation with Isshin, Naruto had taken note of something rather odd. For instance-

Blowing out a lungful of smoke, Naruto looked across the shogi board at his opponent. Harribel was sitting there still dressed in her night clothes which consisted of a sheer low cut black nighty. It was almost completely see through so he could see her bra and panties, both of which were a provocative black lace. If he didn't know any better, he would say she was trying to beat him at shogi using sex appeal alone.

It was almost working.

Over the last three weeks she'd been wearing her night clothes around the house as often as possible; only changing into her usual outfit, which in itself was very revealing, when she was going out. She'd been driving him up the wall, and it was getting harder and harder for Naruto to conceal this fact from his housemates. He was beginning to suspect that she was doing it on purpose to get a reaction out of him, or to force him to take action.

He was a bigger man than that, and he would prove it even if the lack of oxygen and blood going to his brain knocked him flat.

She was a very attractive woman, and he had to say the way the nighty contoured to her curves was extremely appealing to him; therein lied the problem. If Isshin was to be believed and Kukaku had taken it upon herself to finalize the engagement between them while he'd been gone, then he was technically a married man, and he wasn't sure how she would react if he started getting intimate with a hollow. Even if he didn't have a problem with it, and he was positive Kukaku would be of like mind, it was the principle of the thing.

Married men did not sleep around unless they wanted their wives to castrate them, especially if those wives carried a sword around all the time, simple as that.

Naruto moved one of his pieces and sat back in his cushions, chewing on the end of his pipe in thought. He had a lot to think about lately, and things had been so simple and peaceful in his life for over a hundred years. Unfortunately though, Isshin had said he was bringing the kids over today since it was a Sunday and they didn't have school, and from the looks of things they would be arriving soon. He probably didn't even have the time to finish this game before they arrived. So he definitely didn't have time to sit around smoking his pipe while debating with himself over life's greater mysteries.

With that thought, he watched Harribel make her move before she looked up at the clock. Noting that she too had noticed the time Naruto sighed, a cloud of smoke accompanying the breath of air as he stood to his feet.

"Looks like we'll have to postpone our game for another time Tier. The kids will be here soon, so you need to get dressed." Naruto stated dryly as he moved towards the hall. Harribel stood from her place and stretched, her breasts nearly popping out of her top as she did so, and Naruto had to quickly turn his head to avoid getting an eyeful as her nighty rode up on her hips.

This did not go unnoticed by Tier, and the strange glint in her eyes did not comfort Naruto at all. With a sigh, Harribel let her arms fall back to her sides before she sauntered towards Naruto at the hallway door, letting her hips sway seductively as she passed. Naruto twitched. '_Something is definitely going on here, just what did Isshin say to her that day? I know this is his fault, it's always his fault_._ Is she seducing me on purpose, or did her natural sensuality get some sort of level up in the last three weeks?_'

On the bright side, it did provide him with some very good material for his books. He was positive the next release was going to be more popular than any of his previous works to date.

With Harribel going off to her room to change, Naruto decided to go and check on the three fraccion before the kids and their insane father arrived. He felt for those kids, growing up with a father like Isshin couldn't have been easy. Considering that from what he'd heard none of his children were even remotely like him, he was happy that his uncles more inane quirks hadn't rubbed off on them. So it was the least he could do to make sure that they realized the rest of their family was nothing like their crazy father.

When he reached their room, he gently slid the door open and confirmed that the three fraccion were indeed still lazing about and sleeping in; with that knowledge in mind, Naruto closed their bedroom door quietly and moved down the hall towards the sitting room to wait for his guests, passing by a few of the girls that now worked for him on his way.

Just as he reached the door, there was a series of rapid knocks on the front door before it opened and one of the girls who had taken up door duty for the day poked her head inside. Upon seeing him she smiled brightly and gave a small wave. "Oyabun-" Naruto's entire body seized up, the noticeable twitch was ignored by the door-girl though, which he was thankful for. He still wasn't used to being called by such titles, he'd tried to get them to stop, but maybe due to some unresolved hostility towards him they decided to keep doing it just to spite him. "That strange man from the other day is here, and he's got two little girls with him."

Naruto shivered, the strange feeling that always crawled up his spine when people called him by a title other than his name seemingly melting away and leaving him chilled. Gathering his wits about himself once more, Naruto nodded. "Bring them to the sitting room for me, I'll be waiting there."

With an enthusiastic nod, the girl disappeared back around the door and Naruto could just barely make out a muffled conversation as he made his way over to his pile of cushions. He'd had the girls set out some more cushions earlier that morning in preparation for their visit, so there were an additional five smaller piles scattered about the room not far from where he now sat. Unfortunately it would seem that Isshin didn't bring Ichigo along, probably because his duties as a Substitute Shinigami had dragged him off to the other side of town, so it would only be him and the girls for the day. Isshin had said he would only be there for about an hour or so, and after that he'd tasked Naruto with looking after and getting to know his younger cousins until he'd finished with his business elsewhere.

Harribel re-entered the room at that moment, looking about before taking a seat in the pile of cushions that she had previously occupied during their game of shogi. Folding her legs beneath her, Harribel took to simply staring at him as he sat there smoking his pipe and fiddling with a shogi piece.

There was a series of thumps near the front door before a loud shout, and both Harribel and Naruto were treated to the sight of Isshin flying into view for a moment before disappearing down the hall in a tumble.

Eyebrows nearly disappearing into their hairlines, Naruto and Harribel glanced at each other before looking back to the door as their door-girl led two young girls into the room. "You can sit anywhere you like, the Boss-man is cool like that."

The girls were fraternal twins, as they looked nothing alike, one being dark haired with large dark grey eyes; while the other had bright brown hair and light brown eyes. The brighter of the two, seemed to be just that, as while her sister wore a rather disinterested expression on her face, she was all smiles; looking about the room with a bright inquisitive air that was rather refreshing really.

With a throaty chuckle Naruto motioned to the two girls, and then to the cushions piled about the room. "Take a seat girls, while we wait for your father to scrape himself off the floor."

The dark haired girl snickered at that and the other just nodded enthusiastically before both chose a pile and plopped down into them.

It didn't take too long for Isshin to appear in the doorway, goofy grin in place and eyebrows wiggling suggestively. "So, Naruto m'boy, how have things been; been taking care of that stress problem?"

"Hah?" Pipe hanging from his mouth as he looked at Isshin incredulously, Naruto raised an eyebrow as he started piecing things together from the last three days. "Stress problem? What the hell are you-" Pipe suddenly slipping through his fingers as they went slack, Naruto finally connected the dots. The suggestive touches, the provocative dress, the seductive swaying of her hips at every opportunity—it really was all Isshin's fault. Clenching his fist and grinding his teeth, Naruto growled. "You told Harribel something unnecessary didn't you, you old goat?"

Isshin's smile only seemed to get wider at the sight an angry Naruto. "I'm a doctor Naruto, all this stress can't be good for your health. There are several outlets, but only one really does the trick; one that you could access quite readily with all these beautiful women living with you. You need to learn to let loose once in a while, it'll really help you out in the long run."

Naruto's growl grew in intensity, and Isshin stopped smiling, believing he'd finally stepped on a land-mine. "There are children present Isshin, let's save this conversation about my... _health, _for some other time. Alright?"

Isshin nodded quickly, before he too sat down on a cushion and sighed. "So traditional, yet always so comfortable." Isshin then turned to his daughters and smiled. "Yuzu, Karin; this is your cousin. He married into the family a few years back and I wanted him to meet you. Since he's been so busy with his work lately it had to wait until now, but better late then never."

Karin frowned. "If he married into the family, then is that barely dressed lady his wife?"

Naruto chuckled at the look that crossed Harribel's face at that statement. It looked like some sort of cross between embarrassment and incredulity, regardless of how slight the change in her expression was, Naruto had gotten rather adept at reading her in the time they'd spent together. "Sorry but no, Kukaku is living elsewhere at the moment because of her job. I'm sure she'd love to meet you all as well, but unfortunately that may not be for some time yet." Putting out his pipe, Naruto tucked it into his haori and smiled. "My name is Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto, it's nice to meet the both of you."

The bubbly girl, Yuzu, nearly bounced out of her seat in her haste to introduce herself. Out of the two, she seemed the most enthused about meeting another member of their family, even if he was a cousin by marriage alone. "I'm Yuzu, it's really nice to meet you!"

"And I'm Karin, so tell me," Karin leered across at Naruto with a strange glint in her eye, before her brows knit together in a more serious look. "You some kind of Yakuza or something?"

Isshin chuckled uneasily at Naruto's surprise, while Naruto himself looked like a deer caught in headlights at the question, before he realized what his home must look like to others with all those women dressed in sleek, formfitting, black suits patrolling the property. A few of them had even brought their large German Shepherds from home, adding to the image that had obviously been painted in the young Kurosaki's mind. Those suits also looked like they cost a fortune, and Harribel had confirmed that she'd chosen them as the new uniform a week ago.

She liked the look apparently.

All in all, it really did look like the home of a Yakuza boss, so he couldn't really blame the girl for the misconception. Shaking his head, Naruto sighed. "No, I'm not a Yakuza. I'm a writer, and those girls are my hired security. My books made me quite a bit of money in the last decade, and it was easier to hire them than it was to draw up a long-term contract with a Private Security Firm." Glancing over at Harribel, Naruto frowned. "That and it was just kind of dropped into my lap, so to speak."

"That makes sense I guess." Karin muttered dryly. It was obvious that she wasn't convinced, tough nut to crack that one.

Taking a moment to collect himself, Naruto studied the girls in front of him for a moment. It was his first time meeting them, and normally on first meetings Naruto would at least have some sort of idea for a conversation starter, but he was drawing up blanks. Thankfully, the peppier of the two decided to save him the trouble.

"Ne, what's your wife like? Is she nice? I bet she's really pretty too."

Naruto smirked, Kukaku was an interesting person that much was certain, and she was only really nice to young children and her family, unless said family pissed her off. Which was actually very easy to do. "She's nice as long as you don't get on her bad-side, she's a rather irritable woman that one, violent and very aggressive too; she has a flare and passion for fireworks and is a veritable genius of her craft. She's tough as nails and has a vocabulary that would make a sailor blush on her best days. You two would like her though, and I'm sure she would like you." Looking over at Isshin, Naruto smirked. "I really should get her out here some time, she'd like this place. Not to mention, she would never pass up the chance to see her ol' Uncle Isshin again."

Isshin laughed nervously, a nervous look on his face and sweat collecting on his brow at the very thought of Kukaku finding out that he really wasn't dead. He would most definitely die—for real this time. "I'm sure she would Naruto."

Like that the group went on to discuss trivial things, favourite foods, movies, hobbies and the like. It was one of the most normal conversations Naruto had had in a long time. Considering most of his conversations with Harribel lately revolved around her state of dress.

He could swear he had developed ulcers thanks to all the stress.

When Isshin finally did have to leave, Naruto took the girls out into the yard where Karin took to playing a game of soccer with some of the guards who were on break. They'd shucked their suit-jackets and ties and opened a couple buttons on their tops for better air flow; had all the women in his life suddenly decided to mess with him?

Yuzu however had decided to sit on the deck with him and Harribel. While he drank Sake and smoked his pipe, she drank tea with Harribel as the older woman taught her how to play shogi. It was nice, to be able to get to know his extended family. Even if he was just a glorified baby-sitter for the day, he missed things like this.

Laughing and playing with friends and family; not having to care about whether or not tomorrow will be your last day. He hadn't felt that way in quite some time. Over the passed one hundred years, Naruto had constantly been worried about Aizen discovering him here and sending an even more powerful Espada after him and those he lived with.

It was a pleasant feeling, to just forget those worries for a time.

For several hours they either played in the yard or talked on the deck, Naruto staying silent the whole while, just taking everything in. He wasn't completely idle though; his senses had been blanketing the city ever since he'd felt something that had him worried.

The hollows we're disappearing.

Over the last few days, Naruto had felt it; hollows would appear and then only moments later, they were gone. Ichigo hadn't been involved, of that much he was certain, since the boy's reiatsu usually never even made it anywhere close to the hollows before they inexplicably vanished. Ichigo was also nowhere near this quick with dispatching Hollows either.

He sensed another was responsible.

The reiatsu of this being was completely different from any shinigami, it was a reiatsu he hadn't felt the likes of for close to one hundred years.

Quincy.

A Quincy was in Karakura. How had he missed it? Had his senses really grown so dull in the last one hundred years that he'd failed to detect a lone Quincy? Or was something else to blame? Ichigo came to mind at that question; his reiatsu was so wild and uncontrolled that it covered an entire corner of the city. Acting as some sort of dampener to the senses and making it near impossible to pinpoint his location; the same was true for any others in the area of effect. Especially if their reiatsu was far below the strength of Ichigo's own.

Another vanished at that moment, and he could feel Ichigo and the weak presence of the Shinigami who had gifted him with his current abilities arrive at the location only a moment later.

Naruto frowned and puffed absently on his pipe. '_Things are getting out of hand. I'm going to need to step in if this continues... one Quincy usually isn't much of a threat to the balance, but since Karakura is so rich in reishi and it's inhabitants so spiritually sensitive, it's a veritable feeding ground for hollows, more show up in this city than anywhere else in the world. If this Quincy continues as they are, it could have serious repercussions,especially if Soul Society decides to investigate; and considering this Quincy seems so god-damned trigger happy, that may happen sooner rather than later._' A tugging on his sleeve knocked him out of his thoughts, and when he looked to his left, he saw Yuzu there with a concerned expression on her adorable face, looking up at him with her large brown eyes with a cute pout on her lips.

"Ne, Naruto-san, you're really quiet? Is something the matter?"

Naruto exhaled the smoke in his lungs and offered the girl a small but reassuring smile. "No, nothing's wrong Yuzu. I was just thinking is all; my next book is set for release soon and I have much to think on concerning the book signing. It's nothing too terribly important though, so I really shouldn't be worrying over-much with my little cousins here."

Yuzu frowned cutely, before a big smile appeared on her face. "Then you can play a game with me! Harribel taught me how to play shogi, but I'm not that good yet."

Naruto chuckled before glancing over at Harribel, who simply stared back at him coolly, as if daring him to deny his young cousin. Lifting a hand, Naruto ruffled the girls hair affectionately before turning in place and pulling the board towards him. "Very well Yuzu, let's beat the big bad Harribel at a game of shogi then."

Harribel cocked an eyebrow at that as Yuzu cheered. They quickly set up the board and before long, the game was on. With Yuzu in his lap, they took turns making moves against Harribel, all the while Naruto couldn't help but feel an innate sense of foreboding. Something terrible was going to happen soon, and the time for hiding would end.

Looks like it might just be time to dust off his Zanpakutou after all.

**(SCENE BREAK)**

After his game with Yuzu and Harribel, Yuzu had dragged Harribel off to do 'girl stuff', and Naruto was left alone with Karin. The two had been sitting on his deck for the past ten minutes just staring at each other. As far as staring contests went, it was pretty intense. There was no animosity, Karin seemed to be genuinely curious about him but didn't know how to start with her questions, while Naruto just didn't know where to start. Thus was their dilemma, neither knew a good way to start the conversation, and so simply sat there staring at each other. Naruto puffing away on his pipe as was usual for him, and Karin simply stared at him unblinking.

He could smell food cooking from the kitchen, so perhaps one of the girls had decided to cook something for dinner, last he'd seen of Yuzu and Harribel the two had gone in that direction. Who knew?

"So you're a writer then?" Apparently Karin had gotten tired of the silence and decided to start the back and forth. She struck him as the aggressive type too, so it wasn't that surprising. Naruto raised an eyebrow and reached into his Haori, his pipe stuck firmly between his lips.

Nodding Naruto took out one of his drafts that he'd been working on from a seal drawn on his left pectoral and waved it in the air. "I write books of a more adult nature, so unfortunately I can't let you read those. This one however," Naruto handed the small notebook to the dark haired girl, and she took it with a raised brow, "is geared towards younger audiences. I've been working on it for some time, but I can't seem to be able to finish it. Perhaps you can help me with that."

Karin raised an eyebrow and looked up at Naruto like he was stupid. "Dunno what kind of person you think I am, but I'm not exactly the artsy type."

Naruto chuckled softly at that and gestured to the notebook. "You don't need to be. What I need from you, is an opinion; is there anything about this book that you like, that you don't like, that sort of thing. Even if you don't read books often, I need the input of someone your age or maybe as old as your brother Ichigo to really progress here, you could even give it to Yuzu to look at if you want."

Karin sighed and pocketed the notebook. "I'm not really the reading type, I'm more into sports and the like."

Naruto hummed thoughtfully, taking his pipe from his mouth and rubbing his chin. "Sporty eh? I think there are a few things we could do." Naruto grunted as he stood, walking out into the yard a ways before turning back to Karin, who was looking at him curiously. "You ever been interested in Martial Arts, Karin?"

Standing from the deck Karin walked into the yard until she stood only a few feet from Naruto. Looking up at him, Karin gave him a once over before smirking. "I knew you weren't just some lay-about writer. What do you do? Karate like Tatsuki-san?"

Naruto smiled. "Nope, not exactly. I am a master of Hakuda, Goken, and Kawazu Kumite." Of course, he'd had to completely redevelop the Kawazu Kumite after he'd died, and that had taken some doing. It was a fighting style that relied almost completely on the usage of Sage Mode, and without chakra sage mode was practically impossible.

There was one thing that hadn't changed however, Naruto was a Sage, which meant he would need to rediscover Sage Mode as well. That was why it had taken him so long to redevelop the Frog Kata. He had first needed to create an entirely different form of Sage Mode, utilizing all of the same principles and techniques, but using only a singular energy source.

He called it the 'Spirit Sage Mode'.

Karin balked at that one. "Frog Kata? I've never heard of that one, or this Hakuda... or Goken. You make these up yourself or something?"

Naruto laughed. "No, all of these styles were invented by old friends of mine. They died a long time ago, but have given me permission to continue the development of their techniques and styles as I see fit. This also means, that I can teach them to whomever I so choose. So, want to learn a little of my martial arts, Karin?" At that he extended his hand towards Karin, who looked at it strangely for a moment.

After several moments of silent contemplation, Karin chuckled dryly. "Yuzu gets a book, and I get Martial Arts. Why not?" With that, she reached out and shook Naruto's hand.

She had no idea what she was getting into.

**(SCENE BREAK)**

It had only been a day since the Kurosaki twins had come to visit, and already Naruto missed the life they brought with them to his home. They were so lively, both in their own ways, and had really brightened up the atmosphere if only for a short time.

With Karin he'd decided to teach her the Goken, as it was the least complicated of the arts he knew. Hakuda encompassed several different martial arts all rolled into one punishing package, while Kuwazu Kumite would require that he taught her Sage Mode.

He was understandably wary about teaching someone so young something so dangerous, regardless of whether or not she had the potential for it; and she did, but Sage Mode was extremely dangerous just in the learning of it. She wasn't ready for it, and if she tried to learn it as she was, it would destroy her very soul.

Not a very comforting prospect.

Yuzu and Harribel had bonded as well, the young girl seemed completely enamoured with the former Espada for some reason; and Harribel had become a complete mother hen around the bubbly pre-teen girl. It was weird, the stoic Arrancar had allowed Yuzu to pull her about the house for hours without complaint, and after they had all finished eating the meal the two of them had prepared, she helped the girl with the dishes and had even let the young girl sleep with her for a few hours until Isshin had arrived to pick them up.

As cute as it was, Naruto just hadn't expected it.

All things like that had to come to an end at some point though. There would be other times to visit with his family here, for now however, he had more pressing matters to attend to. Namely being the close proximity between the Quincy and his other cousin whom he'd yet to meet.

He had a bad feeling about this; but for now at least, the Quincy seemed perfectly content with killing hollows and keeping his distance from Ichigo. That would change eventually, but until then Naruto would continue to watch the situation closely.

The other more pressing piece of business had directed Naruto's attention elsewhere, somewhere more mundane then the happenings of the Land of the Dead.

The Mall.

Thus, here he was, in the Mall and surrounded by hundreds of normal people going about their business. He received several odd looks to be sure because of his choice of dress; being more traditional then most others akin to the elders of society who remembered the old ways. He was comfortable however, and that's all he really cared about when dressing himself.

Normally, he tried not to venture out into the wide world that often, but since he'd already acknowledged that he would need to start moving in opposition to Aizen soon, it couldn't be helped. That and there were a few things he needed to pick up, namely a new note-pad and writing utensils for his work. As well as a calligraphy brush and ink, among other training supplies that he'd ordered a week ago for his newest student. Or at least, for the person he was thinking of taking on as a student. He hadn't actually spoken to them about it yet, but they struck him as the type that would get rather annoyed about being left out of the action.

That and their chakra reserves were among the largest he'd seen in a person outside of the Elemental Nations. Out of everyone he'd ever met in the World of the Living, they had the largest potential where the Ninjutsu of his world was concerned. They of course had no idea that their forced visit to his estate on behalf of his new employees had managed to catch his attention. He was thankful for that at least, since if they hadn't appeared in his home that day then he never would have realized that someone like that existed in this world of the living. He'd watched them for the entirety of the visit as often as he could, trying to get a proper read on their level and personality. He liked what he saw so far.

He knew of course that a random offer for training from what was in essence a complete stranger in this day and age was a little strange, but he was positive that if he explained the situation and what he was really offering, this person would jump all over it in a heartbeat.

He could teach them so much, but only if they were willing to learn. It helped that this person was already so strong in a physical sense, that was one thing he wouldn't really need to help them with. Unlocking their reiryoku and their chakra, and getting them combat ready in a short amount of time was another matter entirely; but he was confident he could do it in a week or two's time.

He had his ways after all.

So Naruto wandered about the mall, visiting various stores and stalls and gathering up items from sports equipment retailers and arts and crafts hobby-shops. Training dummies, several bags full of blank paper, brushes and bottles of ink, bandages and antiseptics, the list of course goes on and on. He'd had to seal much of his purchases away somewhere on his person, but carried a few bags with him to make himself at least look like a normal customer; though he was just about finished for the day.

Making his way into the food court, Naruto looked about for a place to set down his bags before going to get some ramen. He knew of only one place that made ramen like Old Man Teuchi used to, it was a place he'd found about three years ago in this very mall, and if memory served correct—aha.

Across the food-court from his current position, he spotted the small shop nestled in between two of the more mainstream food-stays of the current era. It was quaint, a small bar with six stools behind a beige curtain, and just behind the bar were the stoves where the dish would be prepared by the chefs before being served to customers at the bar.

Five of the stools were full, the only one that was empty being the one stool that no one ever sat in. Why? Because it was reserved for him of course.

He didn't know when they'd gone and made it official, but even though he only visited once every few months or so, he always sat in that one spot and ordered ridiculous amounts of ramen, so the owner had gone and designated that as Naruto's very own stool after his forth visit or so.

Making his way over, Naruto shouldered his way gently through the crowd and brushed the curtain to the side; stepping inside, Naruto was met with a smile and a wave from the chef and owner of the establishment. Placing his order of six miso and pork ramen bowls, Naruto placed his bags on the floor next to his stool and took a seat to wait for his order.

Now to think of how he was going to find this person he needed to speak with without looking like some kind of creepy stalker.

**(POV CHANGE)**

Tatsuki sighed tiredly. Being who she was, she was never really one for girly-stuff, preferring to go to the dojo and train her body until she dropped. She was on target to become the strongest girl in Japan, just one tournament win and the title would be hers.

Thus, excursions to the mall to get a little girl time in shopping for clothes of all things she found to be rather exhausting. This was why she was so tired, she'd been in the mall for a good part of the day after school had ended, getting dragged about by a few of the girls from her class.

There was Ryo, Mahana, and Honshou, along with a couple girls Tatsuki hadn't bothered getting introduced to; fortunately for the sake of Tatsuki's sanity at least, Orihime was off somewhere doing something or other. So at the very least she wouldn't have to deal with Honshou constantly groping the poor girl in public.

Three hours into their shopping trip they had made a stop in the food court with their bags, Tatsuki having stopped by a sports equipment retailer early on to pick up some new training gloves since hers had been worn out a week ago, as such she only had one bag.

So she sat there, drink in hand, listening to the girls go and about what high school girls do. Boys, boys, clothes, boys, make-up, clothes, boys, grades, and so and and so forth. Most of these being things that Tatsuki had next to no interest in.

Then again, recently she had found herself thinking about something that had been bugging her. She'd been having thoughts about someone herself, but not about silly boys like most girls her age, no she was thinking about someone older. He was more mature than even Kojima, and his presence was as sharp as any blade; now she could be mistaken, but she could wager a guess as to say he was probably one of the strongest people in the world. That was the feeling she got from just a few minutes in his presence.

Of course, she had made the mistake of mentioning that she'd actually been having thoughts of a none too innocent nature about a man at school already, she wasn't about to do so again any time soon. Finishing off her drink, she set the empty cup back on the table and stretched; after hearing a satisfying pop from her shoulder she relaxed into her seat and sighed quietly. This was of course when she noticed something odd.

The girls at the table had all gone silent, staring at something behind her with wide eyes, even Honshou was staring at something behind her, her lips parted slightly and a blush lighting up her face while her glasses gleamed ominously in the light.

Looking behind her in an attempt to catch even a glimpse of whatever had caught their attention, Tatsuki saw someone familiar. Four familiar someones in fact. It was that scantily clad Harribel woman from a few weeks ago and her three followers along with two other girls from the former all-girl gang dressed in what had become their new uniform. Sleek black suits, white undershirts, black ties, and opaque black sunglasses.

They appeared to be looking for someone, as they were standing in the middle of the food court and looking about from left to right. This continued for a moment before Harribel's eyes landed on Tatsuki and they lit up with recognition. This was barely noticeable, as Harribel hadn't come off as the most expressive, but Tatsuki had caught the minute change in her expression. The small group made their way over to their table at Harribel's urging and soon came to a stop only a few feet away.

"Arisawa-san?" At Tatsuki's nod, Harribel pulled a chair over from another table and took a seat, the three women Tatsuki had seen following her around all the time sitting at an empty table nearby while the two girls in suits took up what appeared to be defensive postures behind Harribel. That was when Tatsuki realized something; Harribel had sat down right next to Honshou, who was staring unabashed at the older woman's breasts.

Then again, even Tatsuki found her eyes drawn to the enormous breasts the older woman obviously had no qualms with showing off. So she couldn't really blame a lesbian for being completely enamoured with them.

Looking back up into Harribel's eyes, she took note of the fact that the woman had raised a single eyebrow; obviously she had been caught staring. Blushing a bit under the older woman's scrutiny, Tatsuki fiddled with her skirt, idly noting that she was still wearing her uniform from school.

"Did you need something, Harribel-san?" Tatsuki asked quietly, still somewhat embarrassed that she'd been caught ogling another woman's breasts like she had. Especially this woman.

With a curt nod, Harribel's expression once again became neutral before she herself seemed to sigh. "Naruto-san came to the mall a few hours ago," at that Tatsuki's head shot back up to regard the other woman, again noting that a strange gleam of at least partial recognition had entered Honshou's eyes at the name. "We've been looking for him for about twenty minutes and have been unable to locate him. So we thought it prudent to ask you or your friends if you've seen him."

Tatsuki shook her head, as she was positive she would have recognized an individual like Naruto wandering about the mall. He wore traditional Japanese clothing after all, so he would be pretty hard to miss. That was when her eyes passed over a ramen shop at the other end of the food court and caught a glimpse of red and black.

Blinking in a stupefied manner, Tatsuki pointed with a single finger at the ramen shop and Harribel's gaze followed. Quirking an eyebrow, Harribel reached back and tapped one of her fraccion on the shoulder, the girl with the long, straight black hair; "Sung-Sun, go and retrieve Naruto-san for me." Sung-Sun herself looked confused at first, before she followed her mistresses gaze. When she finally saw what her mistress was staring at, she placed a single hand over her mouth, hiding that portion of her face behind her sleeve, and giggled.

"It would seem Naruto-san has fallen prey to his addiction once again, Harribel-sama." Sung-Sun said through her giggle as she stood. "Fufufu, I'll be back shortly." With that she left and Harribel returned her attention to the girls at the table. That was when the older woman seemed to finally register that they weren't alone and turned her frosty gaze on the other girls.

"And who might you all be? Friends of Arisawa-san?"

Slowly, as one, all the girls nodded. Honshou's glasses had started slipping down her nose and her blush had increased in intensity, but other than that, the girls simply seemed to be in awe of the older woman. Tatsuki couldn't blame them, this woman was confident and mature. A far cry from the people they were used to interacting with for the most part. Her very presence exuded this confidence in waves, and even those in the food court around them could feel it. She drew the eyes of both men and women without even trying; some curious, others were completely taken in by her almost unnatural beauty and exotic appeal.

She looked like a Hawaiian swimsuit model to be blunt.

That was when Tatsuki looked at Honshou and her face paled. '_Oh shit! Honshou looks like she's about to lose it!' _Unfortunately, Tatsuki hadn't been able to react in time. Honshou appeared to have reached the limit of her sanity.

Raging Lesbian with a breast fetish, plus incredibly beautiful dark skinned woman with very large breasts, equalled a potential molestation the likes of which you only read about.

Potential being a very flimsy word at this point in time, as it was almost a sure thing.

Fortunately for everyone involved, when Honshou did pounce, she ran face first into the rock hard washboard abs belonging to the newest addition to the scene. Tatsuki blinked confusedly, just like the other girls present as Honshou rolled on the ground holding her face and groaning in pain. When had he gotten here?

Standing there, looking down at Honshou, was the blonde man that Tatsuki had only met once before; they hadn't spoken to each other directly, but she had the distinct impression she had felt his eyes on her that day. Standing there looking down at Honshou with a rather amused visage, was Uzumaki Naruto.

He was much more physically imposing than he'd been when she'd first seen him. Then again, he'd been sitting down that time so she hadn't been able to get a good look at him. He was huge, that much was obvious. A mountain of compressed and streamlined muscle, easily standing at least six feet tall, and weighing what must have been at the very least two hundred pounds. Broad shoulders and V-shaped torso barely concealed by his red Haori, so many things all rolled together to create what modern day society would label as an Adonis.

Honshou groaned from the ground, finally coming to a stop and laying still. "What the heck hit me?"

Naruto chuckled, and the girl looked up, and up, and up further still until she could look into the startlingly blue eyes belonging to the veritable wall of muscle that she'd run into. Considering he hadn't even budged or shown any kind of discomfort when a girl of her size had slammed into him with that kind of force, all that muscle was obviously not for show. "I wouldn't say I hit you, more the other way around, ne?"

Honshou blushed in her embarrassment, before standing and dusting herself off. Rubbing her nose to ease the slight pain she was feeling before looking back up at Naruto, realizing for the first time just how large he was in relation to herself. "What the heck are you, some kind of giant? You're almost as tall as Sado-san!"

In truth, Tatsuki realized he was only about an inch shorter than the Mexican youth in their class. He had a similar complexion as well, though his skin was a shade or two lighter than Chad. So the comparison was valid for the most part.

He was still freakishly tall for a Japanese man however, even if he looked like an American, the slant to his eyes and his general facial structure gave away his true heritage.

Deciding not to humour the girl with a response other than to laugh quietly to himself, Naruto turned to Tatsuki and smiled. "Arisawa Tatsuki was it? A pleasure to see you again, you've been doing well I hope?"

Tatsuki nodded. "Well enough I suppose. I feel the need to warn you about the girl who broke her face on your stomach though, she's a raging pervert and die-hard lesbian, your friend Harribel should keep a close eye on her at all times."

Naruto blinked several times, tilting his head to the side in an almost adorable manner as a confused expression formed on his face. "Why just Harribel though, all of the people who work for me are female."

Tatsuki sighed and pointed at Harribel's chest with a blush. Harribel simply blinked and looked down at her own bosom with a raised eyebrow. "My breasts Arisawa-san?"

The next thing they knew, two hands appeared from behind Harribel and captured her breasts. A perverted giggling drew their attention to Honshou, who had somehow managed to sneak around Naruto and behind the stern woman. Obviously, she hadn't been able to resist and was now squeezing and massaging the woman's chest with a perverted grin on her face.

The jaws of those sitting at their table, and those of Harribel's fraccion dropped in shock, while Tatsuki herself seemed to have turned to stone, her face paling considerably and her eyes widening drastically. Harribel simply blinked several times in surprise, looking at the hands currently violating her person and wondering how she had missed the girl sneaking up on her. Naruto's expression hadn't changed at all, apart from the pronounced twitching of his eyebrow.

Finally registering just what was happening to her, Harribel's fist came up over her shoulder faster than anyone at the table could follow and slammed into Honshou's face. The girl dropped to the ground immediately, once again rolling about on the floor in pain and gripping her face.

Naruto sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose to alleviate the coming headache. "A pervert with a breast fetish, reminds me of my old mentor, a little bit too much actually."

Harribel simply looked at her now smoking knuckles before waving her hand through the air. "I don't recall giving you permission to touch me in such a manner, girl."

Tatsuki couldn't help it, she snickered. That had been amusing to watch, especially since she hadn't been the one to deal out justice on the perverted lesbian of Karakura High. "Sorry about that, usually I'm the one beating the hell out of her for groping one of the more innocent girl's in our class. Should have warned you sooner."

Naruto waved his hand. "It's fine, hopefully she'll learn quickly that she shouldn't be doing that to just anyone."

Harribel clicked her teeth, looking down at the girl still rolling about on the ground with thinly veiled disgust.

Tatsuki sighed and stood up. "Well Uzumaki-san, it was nice seeing you again, but I really should be going. I've been here long enough and the rents are probably wondering what's taking so long."

Naruto nodded, but placed a hand on her shoulder as she made to turn away with her bag. "A moment of your time Arisawa-san, if you would."

Tatsuki looked back at Naruto for a moment with a frown, but nodded anyway. "Sure, what's up?"

Naruto withdrew his hand and looked over to the table they had just vacated. "Not here, come to my home tomorrow morning. Suffice to say, I have an offer for you, but it's not something I want too many people knowing about."

Noticing her wary look at that statement, Naruto waved a hand dismissively through the air. "Nothing like that I assure you. More along the lines of your training in fact; but the details will have to wait." Turning to look over his shoulder, Naruto smirked at the sight of Tier's Fraccion beating the snot out of Honshou for having inappropriately touching their mistress. "Girls, Tier, we're leaving."

The three fraccion stopped stomping on the downed girl at that and looked up at him owlishly. When they noticed Tier getting up from her seat and bidding farewell to the other girls at the table, they abandoned the battered and bruised, groaning mass of flesh that was Honshou and hurried after her as she and Naruto made their way out of the mall. Their two silent shadows merely bowing formally before hurrying off after them, leaving the group of school girls to sit about in their confusion.

A rather loud yet pitiful groan from Honshou drew their attention momentarily, but in the end they simply decided that going back to what they were doing before would be the smart choice.

**(SCENE BREAK)**

"WHAT?!"

Thus was the cry of Honshou the next day at school, the girls were all sitting out on the lawn and for the most part lunch had just about finished. That had been when Tatsuki had been asked about their shared encounter with the man the day before.

When Tatsuki had told them just who that was, Honshou had reacted much in the way she thought the lesbian would. By breaking down and bawling her eyes out at the fact she'd missed her chance to have her collection of Icha Icha signed by the author. Her idol. And the one man in the world she had said she would go straight for.

Then again, what teenage girl wouldn't be attracted to such a man. Hollywood had nothing on Uzumaki Naruto, and to see him in the flesh, most of the girls had been too stunned to even speak. If Tatsuki was more interested in boys and dating than she was her martial arts, then she too probably would have fallen to his natural charm.

He was mature, handsome, and exotic. He had all the looks of the ideal American Surfer, bronzed skin pulled taut over corded, perfectly sculpted muscle; oceanic blue eyes, golden blonde hair and standing at an impressive height close to six and a half feet. He also had this calming aura about him that seemed to draw people in. It gave one the innate sense that they could trust this man, that if there were no one else on the face of the Earth, he would move heaven and hell to ensure your well being.

In the eyes of the young women of the day, he was the _perfect_ man. Too bad he was so much older than them though, Tatsuki herself may have given it a shot if he was more around their age.

If only she knew.

Back to the current situation however, Honshou was still bawling her eyes out and Tatsuki was quite frankly, getting bored with it all. Watching Honshou practically have a nervous break down was fun and all, but even that got old after a while.

"Yes Honshou, that was _the_ Uzumaki Naruto that you love so much. It's your own fault for not realizing it yourself after I told you all so much about him before, so stop making me feel so bad about it." Tatsuki groused. Honestly, this was getting really old.

Cue more hysterical sobbing.

Tatsuki's eyebrow had developed a rather dangerous tick, any second now she was bound to blow her top. This of course was well known by everyone that knew her as the perfect time to run away. Unfortunately for Honshou, she didn't get that chance.

Making a show of rolling up her non-existent sleeves, Tatsuki stood and stalked towards the pitiful sight of the school's resident lesbian bawling her eyes out over a man of all things, before laying into her with a beating for the ages.

Several minutes later, Tatsuki stepped out of the dust cloud kicked up by her scuffle with the red-head looking oddly refreshed. "Ah, nothing like partaking in your favourite past-time to start the day."

"It's mid-day." Ryo deadpanned, looking up from her book for a moment.

Tatsuki just waved her hand dismissively. "Details."

It was then that the warning bell rang out over the grounds, alerting everyone outside that the lunch break would be over in just under five minutes and that they should start making their way to their first afternoon class. Tatsuki however, was looking towards the end of the day with a sense of apprehension; it's not everyday you get invited to the house of a famous novelist and Oyabun after all.

While Naruto himself didn't seem all that foreboding or even dangerous, it was the woman that was almost always standing or sitting at his shoulder that really put her on edge. As a fighter, and a damn good one too if she said so herself, she could easily distinguish the skill level of other fighters with a single glance; and that woman was much stronger than her.

Naruto though, was a different story altogether, all of her instincts told her that he was a kind and gentle man, yet they also told her that he was far above her in strength and skill. These conflicting feelings were enough to utterly confuse her.

All the more reason to be wary of him, at least for the time being.

Sitting through the afternoon classes was as dull as it ever was, simply listening to a teacher drone on and on about whatever gibberish they were spewing; then again, Tatsuki couldn't find it in herself to pay much attention. It had been that way since that morning, as she'd found herself stuck thinking about what Naruto may have wanted to speak with her about.

Did he want to offer her a job like with all those other girls, or was it something else? Actually just thinking about being offered a job of any sort by an author of erotic literature the likes of Icha Icha had Tatsuki shivering. He did say it had something to do with her training, so was he going to ask her how she trained for reference or something?

So it was with great trepidation that Tatsuki found herself standing outside the gates of the large Traditional Japanese Mansion after school had let out for the day. The grounds were literally crawling with the former members of the all female gang, all dressed in form fitting black suits and ties, with the plastic earpieces you see on TV. Some even had large German Shepherds with them.

Whoever was heading the security of this place had actually managed to turn these girls into Professional Security personnel; at least in appearance alone.

She was let in fairly quickly, considering how much respect she'd managed to gain with the girls who worked here before; and so, it was only a few minutes after her arrival that she found herself sitting seiza in front of the large blonde man. He was, as per usual, simply sitting in his cushions and smoking his pipe while nursing a cup of what she assumed was tea. Harribel was positioned to his left on a single cushion with her legs crossed and her arms crossed beneath her breasts, her cool and almost detached gaze levelled on Tatsuki while Naruto simply observed her quietly with a great deal of scrutiny.

Exhaling with a sigh after several long moments of silence, Naruto decided to start things off to the point rather then beat around the bush. "Welcome to my home once again Arisawa-san; I asked you here because I have an offer for you that I highly doubt you'll want to refuse."

Tatsuki's face scrunched up a bit in displeasure when she heard that, and looked Naruto in the eye almost defiantly. "Isn't that a bit presumptuous of you; saying you have an offer that I won't refuse even though you barely know me?"

Naruto smirked slightly, not condescendingly or arrogantly, just to display his amusement at the statement. "I have a keen eye for character, and you strike me as the type of person who doesn't like being on the sidelines when their friends are involved in questionable activities."

Tatsuki frowned. "Questionable activities? What the hell do you mean by that, none of my friends are in any gangs or anything."

Naruto nodded and took another puff on his pipe. "Not a gang per say, a military organization actually, dedicated to the protection of human souls and the destruction of evil entities known as hollows."

Tatsuki blinked several times, absolutely blind-sided by that statement. "What the heck are you smoking, maybe you should stop."

Naruto looked at his pipe with a raised eyebrow. "Looks and tastes like normal tobacco to me." His gaze shifted over to Harribel and in a joking tone he spoke with a small smile towards the quiet blonde. "You didn't slip anything funny into my tobacco did you Tier?"

Tier merely shook her head and that was that. Turning back to Tatsuki, Naruto chuckled. "I know it sounds outrageous Arisawa-san, but what I'm about to tell you is all true. After I have explained everything to you, I will give you one day to make your decision; at that time, you will find me here awaiting your answer. Our story starts a little over one hundred years ago-"

And so, for several hours Naruto told her everything he knew about how he had come to live in this world of the living, about Aizen, and about what Ichigo and Rukia truly were. He told her of his connection to Ichigo's father, his sisters, and Ichigo himself. How Ichigo and the rest of his family only really belonged in the world of the living because of a technicality, and of his own plans concerning Aizen and what was known as the Hougyoku.

He told her everything, and Harribel merely sat at his side, her eyes closed as her true nature, and that of her fraccion, was exposed.

Strangely enough Tatsuki apparently already had her suspicions about Ichigo, having seen him running about in strange clothes while carrying a large sword on his back once before, and so after having everything explained properly she wasn't quite so sceptical about it all anymore. In fact, she seemed almost thankful that all of this was finally being explained to her after having been standing just outside of the loop for so long.

The fact that Tier was some sort of super-hollow, shinigami hybrid didn't even bother her all that much; it helped that Naruto had told her that she no longer needed to devour the souls of the dearly departed. Not even a slight craving.

It had something to do with her shinigami side apparently. Naruto himself admitted to knowing very little about it, but he had sworn he would know more once he could get decent insight into the Hougyoku and how it worked.

After having explained everything to a now shell shocked Tatsuki, he then made his offer. Stating quite simply that he wanted to train her, not only in how to utilize her already budding Reiryoku, but in some of his own personal styles. All of which was knowledge that had long since been lost to humanity, or at least, the humans of this World. All hers, free of charge.

He wanted to take her on as an apprentice.

That had been what had shocked her the most about the current situation; receiving an offer of apprenticeship from a being that was over two hundred years old, with more Martial Knowledge than any living human. A master of several forms of martial arts, and several arts that only she could learn.

He said he wouldn't explain just why she was so different from any other human, especially Ichigo, until after she'd accepted his offer. Then he would fill in any blanks and explain just what it was he'd seen in her. After that, they would get started on her training as soon as possible, as her close proximity to Ichigo would undoubtedly make her a target.

When he'd sent her on her way for the evening, he'd left her with more questions than answers really. What made her so special? What exactly was he? Was he a Shinigami like Rukia, or was he something completely different? It was one of the things he hadn't told her. Perhaps he'd simply forgotten to mention it? Whatever the case may be, she was slightly confused, but she would think on all that later.

She had a decision to make, and one day to do it.

Train under a two hundred year old spirit, learning arts passed down for hundred of years, techniques that would make her stronger than any living human and even some dead. Get herself involved in whatever world Ichigo had found himself to be a part of however unwillingly, or refuse and go back to her ordinary life.

It was a very easy decision to make. Tomorrow Tatsuki would return to Uzumaki Naruto's home, and she would accept his offer.

Just the thought was enough to almost make her giddy.

**(SCENE BREAK)**

It was now Wednesday, middle of the week, and the time had come. Naruto could feel it. Which was why he currently found himself standing atop a street light in soul form. His Zanpakutou resting in place at his lower back and more than ready to make a come-back.

He could feel it in the air, the atmosphere that surrounded Karakura had completely changed. Something was going to happen, something big, and he had prepared himself for the worst, if such things came to pass.

Such as an army of hollows deciding to descend upon Karakura Town. Which was absolutely ridiculous—though that was exactly what was happening apparently.

They were all low level hollows, but there were so many of them it wasn't even funny; a few had tried their luck with him, only to disperse into reishi before they could register what had happened. They were so sluggish that Naruto had only to utilize his incredible speed to purify them when they got too close. It had been so fast they hadn't even caught the motion of him drawing his blade and cutting them in two before it had been returned to its' scabbard. For him or any other Shinigami it wasn't anything flashy, sure it was fast, but that was it. Other than being far too quick for most to follow, it was nothing more than a simple slash.

Kinda boring really, but since this was all happening in a highly populated area, it would be best if the high level hollows remained in Hueco Mundo for the time being.

He was watching the unfolding situation with a keen eye, keeping an especially close eye on the young Kuchiki. While her reiatsu wasn't nearly as strong as those she was surrounded by, it would still smell of a shinigami to any hollow. Which made her a large target. He hadn't yet had a chance to take the Hougyoku from her and give her a new gigai, but he had a feeling he would get the chance to do so in the near future.

Switching his attention to the park and the large tear in the sky above, Naruto frowned. He was getting a really bad feeling from that place, but as of yet nothing had happened. It was the sole reason why Naruto had remained stationary and refrained from hunting down the mass of Hollows currently invading Karakura, and why he'd had Harribel and her fraccion go in his stead to ensure Tatsuki was unharmed.

They would be arriving at the school any moment now, and hopefully Tatsuki was still there, or they would need to spend time searching for her. Time that these hollows would be loathe to give them willingly.

The Quincy had gone and really made a mess of things; but there were signs that another had a hand in this mess. This whole situation reeked of Aizen's handiwork, as there was no way a simple piece of Hollow Bait would be capable of drawing this many hollows to one place, not without tampering.

Naruto sighed as he cut down another hollow that had come too close; this whole mess was getting really annoying. Though it would appear that he'd waited too long to approach Rukia, as she was now with both Ichigo and the Quincy. It would be prudent of him to make an appearance soon, and with that thought in mind, he made to shunpo in their direction before his attention was drawn by something concerning.

The hollows were converging; and not on any of those fighting them either. They were in fact heading in the opposite direction, towards the park. Naruto watched for a moment, puzzled at the peculiar behavior as every hollow in the area as far as he could see made its' way towards the large tear in the sky above the park.

There was a niggling feeling in the back of his mind that he'd seen this before. He couldn't quite recall when, or even what it meant, but it was on the tip of his tongue. Thinking hard about what it could be, Naruto suddenly found himself thinking about just what it meant when hundreds of Hollows all came together.

"A Menos Grande?" Naruto muttered in disbelief. Impossible, why the hell would a Menos make it's way to the world of the living? Aizen was definitely responsible for this. There was no way a simple Hollow Bait would have enough allure for a Menos Grande to actually take notice. The massive bone white hands currently pulling at the tear in the sky told him that it was indeed a Menos Grande making it's way into the world of the living, and that his attention was apparently needed elsewhere rather urgently.

The situation with Rukia and Ichigo would have to wait. None of those that he could sense on the ground were any match for a Menos Grande at their current level. In reiatsu alone Ichigo had the Menos Grande beat, but with his lack of experience, he wouldn't be able to utilize that impressive well of power properly.

Changing directions Naruto shunpoed his way to the park, needing only a single step to arrive on a bridge overlooking the park where the Menos had stepped out even as Ichigo and the others made their way there.

He could see them now as he stood on the bridge's guard rail, calmly analyzing the situation from his vantage point. Urahara had apparently arrived on the scene with another familiar face, Tsukabishi Tessai and two young children whom he didn't know, while Rukia was on her knees next to Urahara, under the effects of some sort of binding Kidou.

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't notice the presence of two other people and a small black cat on the bridge next to him until he heard a feminine squeak of surprise.

Turning slightly to take in the sight of the two teenagers and their pet cat, Naruto raised an eyebrow at the fact they could see him before he got a good read of their reiryoku. They weren't all that impressive, but it was enough for them to be capable of seeing him. With a slight nod of acknowledgement, Naruto's attention returned to the scene below just as Harribel and her fraccion appeared out of Sonido on the bridge behind him, getting another squeak of surprise from the auburn haired girl.

Harribel stepped forward and with a slight hop, jumped onto the railing next to him before folding her arms beneath her breasts. "We found her, but she was wounded quite badly by a hollow before we arrived. We brought her back to the estate and treated her injuries to the best of our abilities. Unfortunately we don't have your expertise with healing Kidou, so she will need your attention soon Naruto-san."

Naruto nodded, not noticing that the black cat had been staring straight at him with eyes wide with disbelief ever since he'd appeared. His attention was focused solely on the sorry excuse for a battle below; he had to admit, watching his young cousin get thrown around by a Menos Grande was slightly amusing. However, he was merely observing for the moment to get a better read on his young cousin. He would be taking over his training soon after all, so it would be prudent for him to be aware of what he needed to teach the boy first.

From the looks of things, he had quite a task ahead of him.

"I will deal with it when we get back, for now though, we should get involved. Ichigo isn't ready to take on a Menos, and if he continues to try, he'll be doing nothing more than annoying it. I need to get down there before it decides to use its'-"

A shout from below from the young Kuchiki still at Urahara's side drew his attention back to the Menos, where it had opened it's massive jaws and had begun charging a menacing orb of saffron. Naruto cursed and made ready to charge into the fight. "Let's go, this is beyond them as they are."

With a quick shunpo, Naruto appeared in front of Ichigo and shoved him back before the Cero made impact, exploding violently and shrouding his location in a thick screen of airborne dust.

**(POV CHANGE) **

Urahara was confused. For the first time in a while, his carefree expression had completely changed. He was serious now as the others looked on with confused frowns; they had just watched Ichigo get tossed away from the Cero with a good deal of force, but because of the dust in the air, they couldn't make out just who or what had shoved him away. This had gone entirely unforeseen on Urahara's part, he was positive he knew the identities of every spiritually aware being in Karakura.

It was as if Ichigo had been thrown by the very air itself however, as there was no telling presence within the cloud of dust that Urahara could make out, and to this day Urahara knew of only one person who was capable of concealing their reiatsu from the senses completely. That was impossible however, as he'd been dead for over one hundred years now.

So they waited, even as the Menos took a step forward, another Cero already charging in it's gaping maw. As the dust began to clear a form started to appear, a dark silhouette of a large individual wearing some sort of cape or Haori.

When the voice rang through the air Urahara froze completely in disbelief. Tessai's reaction being pretty much the same as his glasses slid down his nose and his jaw dropped open slightly.

"I don't take too kindly to others intentionally putting my family in danger, Kisuke."

A massive gust of wind blew through the park, dispersing the cloud of dust that stubbornly refused to clear on its own, and revealing to everyone present just who it was that had pushed Ichigo out of the way. The Quincy was immediately on guard, and the four other individuals appearing next to the man in bursts of static didn't help to calm his nerves. Ichigo was of course quite a bit miffed at being pushed away, but Tessai and Urahara were both speechless.

The man was roughly six and a half feet tall, with broad shoulders and well muscled arms. He had long blonde hair tied into a wild tail running down his back, and even though his back was turned to them, they already knew exactly who this was based on his attire alone.

An ankle length sleeveless blood red haori wreathed in a pattern resembling black flames, worn over black hakama and a pair of straw sandals. He had a wakizashi hanging from a cord at his lower back, his hand placed at the hilt of the sword as he prepared to draw.

The four women turned to them then, the taller, blonde female standing directly behind him and facing Ichigo to ensure that he didn't get too close and endanger himself again as Naruto continued. "You know he isn't ready to face a hollow of this level yet Kisuke, but I can let it go just this once."

The Menos fired its' second Cero at that moment, and it was dealt with quickly and easily, with a single flick of his wrist his sword was drawn and the Cero was turned towards the sky with laughable ease. Then, the man vanished for a moment before shimmering back into view in the same place, only facing them this time. Though, when nothing happened, Ichigo laughed. "Was that disappearing trick supposed to do anything you-"

His tirade was quickly stopped when the Menos reared back and howled in what appeared to be pain, a large seal having appeared on it's mask out of nowhere; seemingly carved into the bone with a blade were a series of Kanji arranged in a large circle that were all glowing a dull gold. As Naruto sheathed his Zanpakutou, he muttered one word as his sword clicked back into it's scabbard. "Katsu."

In the next instant their world was consumed by a light so bright it was blinding, and a sound akin to that of thunder that rattled the eardrums and made one's head ring; originating from the seal carved into the Menos' mask and blossoming outwards and into the sky in a towering ball of flame, was an explosion that had consumed the head of the Menos completely and even eclipsed the very sun. The massive hollows body rocked violently, before with an anguished howl, it began dispersing into reishi and the tear behind it slowly began to close.

Once the last of the hollow had vanished into the air, and the fire and smoke created by the explosion had cleared, everyone simply stared at the gathering of new arrivals in stunned silence as they waited for their ears to stop ringing and the black spots to fade from their sight, before Naruto and those with him casually made their way over to where Urahara and the others were standing.

Urahara idly noticed that Ichigo had fainted at some point either from exhaustion, or shock, one of the two. He'd been fighting hollows non-stop for well over an hour, and even with his reserves, he just didn't have the stamina to go on any longer. Some rest would do nothing but good for him, but he would need to get him back to the shop for proper medical attention. He would however need to deal with this little situation first.

When Naruto stopped in front of him and Tessai, with Rukia blinking up at him in shock, Urahara couldn't resist poking him several times with his cane, as if to assure himself that the man standing before him was real. He did this for several moments, simply poking Naruto with his cane in disbelief before Naruto decided that enough was enough.

Naruto swatted Urahara's cane away when it came in for another jab at his stomach, before sighing. "Yes Urahara it's really me, and while I think it's obvious, but you and I need to have a little chat. Bring the Kuchiki to your shop and I'll meet you there." With that, he turned away, not even giving Urahara a chance to gather his wits about himself before he and the four women with him vanished in bursts of speed.

Tessai cleared his throat after his jaw clicked shut. "Urahara-san, I believe it would be best for us to finish up here and make our way to the shop post-haste."

Urahara blinked and looked up at his long time friend. "Please tell me I wasn't hallucinating Tessai-san. Or did I really just see Namikaze-san return from the metaphorical grave?"

Tessai sighed, one part resignation, the other to hide his own shock at the current turn of events.

**(SCENE BREAK)**

Urahara sat quietly at the table in the Urahara Shouten, Tessai sitting next to him as the pair mulled over the days events. Events that revolved around a certain individual that was currently sitting across from them at the table, smoking his pipe and sipping sake leisurely as if there wasn't anything off about this whole situation. The other blonde sat next to him had them both on edge though, since they were positive that they'd seen what looked like bone plating on her body.

Naruto didn't seem bothered, but neither of them had any way of knowing his true intentions until he told them, which up to now, he hadn't bothered even beginning to explain. So they sat in silence, and it was wearing on Urahara's nerves.

He knew Yoruichi was nearby, possibly trying to listen in on the conversation without giving away her position since to this day she was the only one who could hide from Naruto effectively. She had a bone to pick with Naruto, that much was certain, but she didn't want to tip her hand too soon.

With a sigh, Naruto set down his dish and took a puff on his pipe before locking his eyes onto Urahara seriously. "First thing's first, I'm sorry to you both for not revealing myself to you sooner. It was foolish, brash, and insensitive of me to do as I did, but it was also the only option available to me."

Urahara frowned but remained silent as Rukia returned to the room from checking on Ichigo. Taking her seat next to Tessai and turning her attention to Naruto, Urahara took out his fan and flipped it open in front of his face in his usual manner. "I'm afraid I don't quite understand Namikaze-san, why was it your only option to make everyone think you were dead?"

Naruto gestured to the woman beside him, who until that moment remained silent. "My name is Tier Harribel, formerly the Third Espada under command of Aizen. I was sent to kill him that day over one hundred years ago because he felt that Naruto-san was getting too close to exposing him to his superiors in Soul Society; as such, Naruto-san was viewed as a threat too great to be ignored. We both came to an understanding however, and to fool Aizen into believing we had both died on that day we decided to go into hiding."

Urahara's gaze darkened at the mention of Aizen, but Rukia looked absolutely confused. "So Aizen was responsible for your disappearance as well then?"

Naruto frowned, but nodded. "Tier here is an Arrancar created using an incomplete Hougyoku of Aizen's creation. The strongest of these Arrancar are known as the Espada, or Aizen's elites, and the lower the number the stronger the Espada. The Espada are numbered from ten to one by my understanding." Puffing on his pipe as he let Urahara absorb the information, Naruto exhaled before continuing. "Aizen somehow discovered that I was onto him, and I had only just managed to discover the incomplete Hougyoku before he sent Tier to kill me, so I decided to let Aizen believe that his gamble had succeeded. That way he wouldn't be on guard for my continued interference, and he wouldn't send one of the other two higher ranked Espada to finish what Tier could not."

Urahara nodded grimly, understanding now why Naruto had done what he'd done. Naruto was a shinobi, and a shinobi's greatest tool was deception; by making even Soul Society think that he was dead, Aizen too would be caught in his trap. This would ultimately allow Naruto to make his plans from the shadows and observe Aizen without tipping his hand. The element of surprise was a very powerful tool after all.

If there was one thing that even Urahara rarely understood, it was Naruto's mind. The man was intelligent and cunning, and even though it would hurt even himself, he was not above deceiving even his own friends and family if it meant that his enemy would also fall into the same trap.

Make Aizen ignorant to your survival and make him arrogant in thinking that his plans were progressing without problem. In this way he would be entirely unprepared for the eventuality in which you revealed yourself to still be alive. In this way you could force him to make a fatal error, throwing a major wrench into his plans.

Urahara sighed and brought his fan down into his lap. "While I cannot fault you your reasoning Naruto-san, there must have been a better way."

Naruto shook his head. "I thought of everything Kisuke, this was the only way for me to regain the element of surprise. The fact that I gained a powerful ally from the ordeal is just coincidence, but it is one I am thankful for." Putting his pipe back between his lips, Naruto turned his gaze on the young Kuchiki girl. "Now, as for you Kuchiki-san, I need you to come over here for a moment." Stopping for a moment, Naruto frowned. "Actually, lose that gigai first."

Urahara frowned, even as Rukia complied with the strange request with only slight hesitation. "Urahara, go and get Kuchiki-san here a proper gigai while I work." Urahara's eyes went wide in shock; '_How did he know about the gigai? Does this mean he knows about the Hougyoku as well?_' For several silent moments, he didn't move to fulfil the order. That was until Naruto shot him a piercing glare for his inactivity.

As Urahara left the room, Naruto picked up the discarded Gigai and frowned. '_I could actually see some uses for this; Tier has already made it clear that she isn't fond of being a Hollow and if there was a way she would change that in a heartbeat. That's why she was so willing to offer her past to me when I was trying to find a way to reverse Hollowfication using seals. Up until now there has been no viable way to reverse hollowfication though so that wasn't possible, but I think Urahara has stumbled upon something remarkable. If you could turn a shinigami into a normal human with this gigai, I wonder what would happen if I tweaked the design a little and gave one to Tier._' It was definitely food for thought, so he quickly stowed the gigai in a seal on his bicep before turning to Rukia who had been fidgeting nervously in her spot next to him. Smiling gently Naruto took out a small square of paper from within his Haori, followed by a bottle of special ink and a brush from a seal on his pectoral. "Now Kuchiki-san, this may be painful for a moment, and you will probably lose consciousness, but I need you to bear with me."

At Rukia's hesitant nod, Naruto started drawing what he had dubbed the extraction seal. It was a seal he'd developed after Isshin had told him where Kisuke had hidden the Hougyoku; it wouldn't harm Rukia, and it would enable him to extract the Hougyoku with a simple application of reiryoku. After that, he could think seriously on what he would do about the device.

When he finished drawing the seal, Naruto had Rukia open the front of her robes only slightly, just barely revealing the small swell of her breasts while keeping her decent. Pressing the seal to her sternum with two fingers Naruto looked into her violet orbs seriously. "Take a deep breath now, and relax. This should only take a moment."

Rukia nodded once again, even though her face was beat red with embarrassment at exposing herself even this much, before Naruto activated the seal and she flinched as the the feeling of a red hot poker travelling through her chest took over her senses. The pain only lasted a moment, and when it was over, her eyes rolled back into her head and she fell back into Harribel's waiting arms.

Harribel sighed, fixing the young woman's robes with a free hand as she cradled the petite woman against her breasts, before looking up and seeing Naruto holding a familiar object in place of the paper tag he'd used on Rukia.

It was a small bluish orb resembling glass, held gently between his two fingers. He was observing it with a keen eye, puffing tentatively on his pipe for a moment before shoving the Hougyoku into his Haori and scratching his head. "That went well, now I just need to figure out what to do with this thing."

"Can you destroy it, Naruto-san?"

Naruto looked up hearing Urahara's voice from the other side of the room. He was looking at Naruto with a grave expression, but he didn't appear angry. He almost looked hopeful, but was trying to cover up that fact by appearing the very image of grim. He was holding a gigai in his arms that resembled Rukia down to the last detail; it was obvious that he had already made the gigai for Rukia and thankfully, unlike the one Naruto had stored away on his person, Naruto was able to tell that it was indeed just a simple gigai.

Thinking about the question for a moment, Naruto shook his head, not in refusal but in resignation. "I don't know, I'll need to study it for a while before I can develop a seal capable of such a thing. If worst comes to worst, I'll seal it into an alternate dimension where it will never fall into the wrong hands. Aizen will never know I've taken it either, so there's a plus." Pausing for a moment and looking over at Tier thoughtfully, he tilted his head to indicate that he was speaking to Urahara. "I would like to ask your permission to test a theory of mine Urahara."

Tier tilted her head in confusion, while Urahara's frown grew more pronounced, but when he looked over at Tier he seemed to have thought of his own theories. "And what theory is that, Naruto-san, that you would need to ask my permission?"

Naruto sighed, exhaling a large cloud of smoke and resting his elbows on his knees while linking his fingers together under his chin. "I have been thinking of a way to reverse the process of Hollowfication, I have a willing assistant, but up until now I have had no success using a variety of different seals." The response seemed to shock Urahara, but being as it was scientific in nature, Naruto knew he'd caught Urahara's complete attention. Urahara himself sat down at his place by the table and set the gigai down next to him before leaning forward in interest. "I spent sixty years trying to find a way to do this using seals, but I have yet to discover the proper formulae. I have however come to one hypothesis after learning of how Tier became an Arrancar; if the Hougyoku is capable of granting the users wish, such as breaking down the barriers between hollows and shinigami and giving a Hollow the powers of the latter, would it not be possible to take it a step further?"

Urahara leaned back and rubbed his stubbly chin in thought. He looked over at Tessai with a question in his gaze but the large man merely shrugged. Turning back to Naruto, Urahara placed his hands in his lap and shook his head. "I honestly don't know Naruto-san; when I made the Hougyoku, I knew it's capabilities to break the wall between Hollows and Shinigami, and it was the very reason why I locked it away. It's possible in theory, as the Hougyoku does appear to answer the will of the holder, but whether or not it's actually capable of changing the nature of a soul from one extreme to another is unknown." Taking off his hat and rubbing his fingers along the brim, Urahara cleared his throat. "You are right in thinking that however, as even I'm not completely sure just what the Hougyoku's limits are, I'm sure it could at least act as a catalyst for a much larger change. However, I want you to promise me something before I give you my permission to actually use the Hougyoku. When you are finished testing your theory, destroy it or lock it away. End of discussion."

Naruto nodded immediately. "I had already intended on doing so Kisuke, I merely wished to test my theory first. If it's a success, I can observe the process and develop a seal to replicate the effects; once I am finished, I will begin looking into a way to either destroy the Hougyoku, or seal it away for all eternity."

Urahara was silent for a moment before his face broke out with a broad grin. "If your theory is correct, you will have discovered a whole new way to 'purify' a hollow. I do hope it works, and if you need any help at all you just let me know alright, Naruto-san?"

Naruto chuckled. "I'll be borrowing that modified gigai of yours Kisuke, in case this doesn't work I'm sure I can modify it even more to work towards the same effect. Harribel here is quite willing to help me in this research, and if I can turn her into a shinigami using the already existing powers of the same as a starting point, then it will make it a whole lot easier to figure out how to perform the full change on a pure hollow. I also promised her that I would find a way, she isn't all that fond of being a hollow after all, even if she is part shinigami in nature."

Kisuke nodded, his smile still in place as Naruto and Harribel stood up. "I'll be leaving Rukia here with you Kisuke, you can tell her as much as you wish, but I would prefer if she was left in the dark about my true identity for the time being." Harribel handed the limp Kuchiki over to Tessai before following Naruto to the door. "Tell Ichigo to come see me when he wakes up. If he doesn't know where I live, tell him to ask Isshin to bring him to my house. We need to have a chat him and I."

With that, the two were gone and Urahara was left alone with an unconscious Kuchiki and a silent Tessai. Silent for only a few moments before he seemingly thought of something, or someone. "Yoruichi-dono will not be pleased." Came the grumbled statement from the large dark skinned man.

Urahara chuckled sadistically. "No, no she won't Tessai-san; and I'm almost certain she was listening to the entire conversation. She's most likely following him home now, so he'll be in for quite the surprise when he arrives."

**(SCENE BREAK)**

When Naruto and Harribel returned to his home, the tall blonde woman immediately took him to the room where they'd laid Tatsuki down to rest and he immediately went to work. She was banged up pretty badly, but it looked as if all the major injuries to her person had been taken care of for the most part.

As in partially healed.

Deciding that it would do him no good to dwell on it since it actually made his job easier, Naruto set to work with some healing Kidou and finished healing her more serious injuries. The rest, such as the bumps and bruises could be handled with time, and he didn't have the control or the patience to tend to such minor injuries.

Several hours later, Naruto emerged from the room and Harribel retreated inside to watch over the girl as she recovered, allowing Naruto a chance to relax after such a hectic afternoon.

Heading into his sitting room, Naruto sat down on his cushions, pulled out his pipe and sake and prepared to simply relax for what remained of the afternoon, and maybe the evening if his muse decided to give him a break. It had been an interesting day that much was certain, and luckily Urahara had taken his reappearance about as well as he'd expected.

He was upset with him for sure, he could see that much, but he also saw the truth in Naruto's words and couldn't dispute them for long.

Yoruichi however would be another story entirely.

Naruto paused at that thought, about halfway through lighting his pipe, he could only hope that Yoruichi took it so well. He knew she wouldn't, but there was always the hope. She had always been the more playful, carefree, and expressive of the two individuals in question. This also meant that she would have been hit the hardest at the thought of his death, which in turn meant that if he revealed it all to be a lie-

Naruto groaned tiredly, she was going to murder him.

Whatever his reasons for doing so, lying to Yoruichi had never been something Naruto enjoyed even thinking about. That woman could lay on a guilt trip so thick his father would start feeling guilty wherever he may be. Confused, but guilty.

Pipe adequately lit after that little bout of depression at the thought of his very real death at the hands of his purple haired friend, Naruto took several puffs before noticing something odd in the corner of the room.

Tilting his head curiously, Naruto was about to get up to investigate when a small black cat stepped from the shadows in the corner and bound across the room before coming to a stop and sitting itself down just in front of Naruto. It then simply took to staring straight into his eyes, it's own reflecting a degree of intelligence Naruto had only ever seen in the summon animals from District Thirteen.

It's golden eyes reminded him of Yoruichi for sure, and the way it was looking at him was exactly how he imagined Yoruichi would when he eventually got around to finding her and telling her the truth as he had Urahara.

This little cat looked pissed.

Sighing, Naruto leaned down and patted the cat atop it's head. "Did one of the girls decide to bring their pet to work today? I know some have brought their dogs, but a cat?"

Suddenly and without warning, Naruto felt a searing pain across his face, causing him to lean back in surprise and dab at his nose with his free hand. That was when he realized the cat had just lashed him across the nose with those very sharp claws it was now holding up in front of it's nose like some sort of deranged serial killer. "That was for one hundred years of letting me think you were dead, Naruto."

Freezing in place, Naruto looked down a the cat with an owlish expression, eyes wide in surprise. Naruto found himself wondering idly, why such a thing as being clawed by a cat of all things hurt him so badly, then it was how could a cat speak in this World of the Living, and finally he settled on-"Holy shit, Yoruichi? Why the hell do you sound like a guy?"

The cat raised a little kitty eyebrow and lowered it's paw to the floor. "You could tell it was me... how?"

Naruto frowned as he went back to stemming the bleeding of the cuts on his face. "Your eyes gave it away, and there doesn't exist a normal cat in this world of the living that can speak." Grumbling childishly for a moment, Naruto used a small bit of healing kidou on his face to close the gash her claws had left behind. "Now answer the question, why do you sound like an old man when you're clearly female?"

Sweat drop forming at the back of her head, Yoruichi sighed. "The fact that I can turn into a cat doesn't have you stumped, no it has to be why I sound like a man that you're hung up on." Shaking her head Yoruichi hopped into his lap and placed her fore-paws on his chest so she could stare straight into his eyes. "If you think that I'm done with you after a little scratch like that, you've got another thing coming. I heard how you explained it to Kisuke, but you should know us women are a lot harder to please than that idiot. One hundred years I mourned for you Naruto, only to hear that you ran off with some half-naked hollow floozy and her little trio of devotees. How exactly are you going to pay me back for that, hmm?"

Naruto blinked dumbly and lowered his head with a groan. "This is gonna be painful isn't it?"

At that, he could swear he saw a smile stretch across the cat-Yoruichi's face. "You don't know the half of it-let the negotiations for the recompense of one hundred years of my time officially begin."

**(SCENE BREAK)**

When Harribel returned to the sitting room she was expecting the usual sight of Naruto sitting in his cushions smoking his pipe and nursing a cup of sake. What she hadn't been expecting however, was to see her friend folded at impossible angles until he resembled a pretzel and covered in dozens of scratches from some kind of animal. A cat if she had to guess, judging by the black cat perched upon his back and licking it's paw without a care in the world as Naruto groaned painfully.

Now this wasn't the strangest thing she'd ever seen, but it was pretty far up there on her list.

When Naruto noticed her entrance, he simply grunted. "Not. A. Word."

So with a nod, Harribel turned on her heel and left the room, closing the sliding door behind her. She was about to start on her way back to the room where Tatsuki had just woken up, before the sound of an unfamiliar man laughing sadistically from inside the sitting room drew her up short.

When the laughing didn't stop and the screaming began, Harribel decided that investigating it wasn't worth it.

Anything that could make Naruto scream several octaves higher than an elementary school girl was far too strong for her to deal with.

No sir, she was not getting involved with that; she liked not looking like a salty snack thank you very much.

**(SCENE BREAK)**

"So you've accepted my offer—" Naruto was interrupted by a loud crack as Harribel popped his shoulder back in to it's proper place, the sound being loud enough that it made Tatsuki who had woken about twenty minutes ago wince in sympathy.

They had convened in Tatsuki's room only a few minutes ago so that Naruto could tell her what he would be teaching her once she had fully recovered, which he'd said should only take another day or so. "Thank you Tier, and as for you Tatsuki..." Tatsuki perked up as Naruto rolled his shoulder while looking at her out of the corner of his eye, the majority of his attention being on the black cat sitting off to the side. "You can rest here for the night, or head home, either way works for me. I'd like you to be here tomorrow morning though, so whichever works best for you."

Tatsuki blinked. "Tomorrow morning even though I have school? Sorry but my grades are pretty important."

Naruto smirked at that, that was until Harribel pressed her knee into his back and pulled his shoulders back with both hands. His spine let out a series of snaps and cracks as the vertebrae slid back into place, and this time Tatsuki wasn't the only one who winced. Huffing and puffing as the pain passed, Naruto leaned forward, his arms falling limp over his knees. "I can teach you something that will make your life a heck of a lot easier. It's the ultimate in multitasking tools—and it's called the Shadow Clone."

Tatsuki blinked. "The shadow clone?"

Naruto nodded, before reaching into his haori, and pulling a small scroll from one of the storage seals inside. Handing Tatsuki the scroll, Naruto continued. "It's a surprisingly simple technique, one of the easier one's to learn in fact. The only real problem with it is the amount of energy required to create even a single clone. Within that scroll is your first assignment, get it done before midnight and I'll show you how to multitask like a pro." With that, Naruto made to stand, but just as he was making to his way to his feet, Tatsuki grabbed his Haori and held tight.

"Wait-" Tatsuki said firmly. "You haven't explained anything to me yet and already you're saying all this nonsense about clones and what-not. I'd really like that explanation you promised me the other day."

Naruto chuckled lightly before gesturing to the scroll in Tatsuki's hand. "Completing the exercises detailed on that scroll will be all the explanation you'll need. Think of it as a test, if you succeed, I'll tell you everything you want to know. Remember-" Naruto walked to the door out of the room and slid it open before looking back at Tatsuki over his shoulder. "Get it done by midnight, and I'll teach you the shadow clone technique. After you've learned that, you'll be able to learn everything you need to know to succeed in a normal human life while never attending another class ever again."

With that, Naruto stepped out of the room, the black cat and Harribel following him into the hallway before he gently slid the door closed.

Naruto then retreated to his sitting room, leaving Tatsuki to read the scroll on her own. If she was as talented as he thought, she'd have the exercises down by ten in the evening, and then he could really start her training. It was only a matter of time.

Looking at the clock in the sitting room Naruto frowned. It was getting on in the evening, roughly six o'clock, and Ichigo still hadn't arrived. Was he blowing him off, or was he still out of it at Kisuke's?

Sitting down and relighting his pipe, Naruto sighed as he leaned back in his cushions before watching Yoruichi sit down next to his elbow. "That brat better not make me wait too long... I swear, kids these days have no respect for their elders."

No respect at all. Reminded him of himself when he was that age to be totally honest.

A little bit too much of himself.

With another sigh, Naruto exhaled a plume of smoke from his lungs before scratching Yoruichi behind the ear. One hundred and ten years of waiting, and the days events had convinced him that the waiting would be coming to an end soon. If Aizen was pulling these kinds of stunts, then Naruto could no longer afford to simply wait. Unfortunately, Ichigo was likely to be involved in the whole mess, it may only be a gut feeling of his, but he wanted to make sure Ichigo was prepared for whatever might come his way before the shit hit the fan.

Only a short while longer, then he would make a move of his own; and Aizen wouldn't know what hit him.

At that thought, Naruto grinned. '_I hope you're ready for me Aizen._'

It would be awfully boring otherwise.

**AN: And that's a rap on chapter three, Naruto has revealed himself, and we're awful close to the Soul Society Arc which will start at some point in the next chapter. **

**Now, sorry again for the looooong wait, but these things take time; and on top of that, I've been dealing with some medical issues here which are making it difficult for me. I'm trying my best, but updates will be sporadic at best.**

**I can honestly say that I'm not 100% happy with how this chapter turned out, but I've rewritten it probably six times now and this is just how it turned out; and I just don't see myself possessing the time to rewrite it again without tacking another month onto the update time.**

**That's a no. Need too keep this story rolling on after all.**

**Hopefully the next chapter will come out a bit better, hopefully.**

**Anyway, have a good one mates, this is the CrimsonxAEGIS, signing off.**


End file.
